Cherish Redux
by PersonaOfBetrayal
Summary: This is the story of a bond that was forged through friendship, tempered through the heat of battle, and endured in the face of impossible odds. And now, a love once thought lost to the ages has been rekindled. Through laughter, through tears, and through countless adventures, this is their story. TxY. Collaboration between SummonersGrace and PersonaOfBetrayal.
1. Authors' Notes

**Note from SummonersGrace - the original writer of Cherish:**

This story is a baby of mine that I worked on, and posted roughly ten years ago.

Through the years, I really desired to start anew with it, but never had the motivation to get very far. That is, until I met the author of a story I held dear to my heart. Well, we got to know each other and our shared love of this fandom pretty well, and eventually, we decided to collaborate on rewriting it!

Without her, I'm not sure this would have ever gotten off the ground. I'm tremendously honored to be working with her, and I'm thankful that she has lent her ideas and expertise. My name might be on it and my hand in it, but she's really the backbone behind this story.

* * *

 **Note from PersonaOfBetrayal:**

Funnily enough, her original version of Cherish was my first real taste of the FFX fandom; I had only just gotten into the series and, having fallen in love with the TidusxYuna pairing, I discovered her story on DeviantART. She was the main reason I signed up to that site, back in 2012, and could very well have been the reason why I started writing for this fandom myself.

So I'm incredibly ecstatic (if not a little baffled) to be working with my childhood fandom hero! We hope you enjoy this adventure, since as well as lots of TidusxYuna action, we'll be attempting to follow chronological events that happened after X-2. As well as our own scenarios about the post-game.

Happy reading, and drop some support if you want!


	2. Dysphoria

**Chapter I**

* * *

For Besaid Island, the day began much like any other. The skies were awash with color, dotted with puffy, cotton clouds, contrasting the azure blue and bright sunlight of an otherwise clear day. A gentle onshore breeze greeted the laborers; a welcome start to their day. The hum of textile weaving filled the town square; the chatter of banter carried across the beaches as fishermen cast their lines and nets.

All that was soon tossed aside, however. Word quickly spread that Besaid's favorite daughter had returned home, and the island collectively halted their day to greet the High Summoner. Their greetings would have to wait, as they arrived at the port to discover Yuna had found something - rather, someone she treasured most dear just offshore.

For most, they were satisfied with a cheer as a newly minted Elder by the name of Wakka grabbed the pair's attention. Playful jabs and banter followed, and then the two approached the shoreline, High Summoner Yuna hand in hand with Tidus, a smile on her face the likes of which no one had seen in years.

"A sphere of me?" inquired Tidus, trailing doggedly behind Yuna as the pair ambled ashore. Yuna's answer would have to wait, however, as a jovial Wakka emerged from the crowd, greeting the two.

"Hey there! Where ya been?" asked the retired blitzer, wrapping his friendly arms around the duo in a bear hug. "You jus' up an' disappeared, an' here you are once more!"

"I...I don't know." Tidus lowered his gaze, embarrassed he had no viable explanation to offer Wakka. ' _What happened? I was a goner!'_

"Do you remember anything?" asked Yuna, curious if he recalled his ghostly form leading her out of the Farplane. Wakka had other ideas, however.

"Eh, we'll worry 'bout that later. Come say hi to my son!" Wakka gestured towards Lulu, who was maintaining solid grip on a cozily wrapped bundle. Timidly releasing Yuna's hand, Tidus approached and peered into it. In Lulu's grasp was nestled a chubby little infant resting peacefully in his mother's arms, a tuft of flame red hair sprouting from his head.

"He's cute! What's his name?"

Lulu chuckled heartily before offering an explanation. "You should ask Wakka about that. He went days after he was born without a name."

"Hey 'ey 'ey! It's a tremendous responsibility ya? Anyways, I'd been thinkin' I wanted his name to mean something so I named 'im Vidina. It's Al Bhed for 'Future'."

"Whoa! Are you serious?" ' _Just what kind of world am I coming back to? Wakka with a son? Wakka giving his son an Al Bhed name?'_

"He was quite proud of himself coming up with that name, right Wakka?" Yuna interjected with a giggle and a playful elbow to his midsection.

"You bet! Comin' up with names is hard!"

"Wait!" Tidus boomed, the gears turning in his head. "Hold up a minute! Does that make you Vidina's mom?"

"I am." Lulu nodded with a slight smile.

"I knew it!" Tidus shouted, recalling a time where the four of them had gathered at the Farplane entrance in Guadosalam. "I knew it all along!"

"Eh? You lost your chocobos again?" Wakka asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's nothing, Wakka." Lulu interjected curtly, wishing to change the subject. "Say, we were planning a little cookout for today; you're both welcome to join."

"We'd love to!" Yuna clasped her hands, bowing in thanks.

Tidus glanced at her, observing another change in the summoner. She exuded a boldness, a confidence in her voice that now complemented her kind demeanor. Part of him wondered if he had rubbed off on her. Almost on cue, Yuna seemingly confirmed it when she tugged eagerly on his hand. "Come on!"

By now, most of the crowd dispersed, with Wakka and Lulu also expressing their desire to make their way back into town.

"Let's go home!" Tidus grinned.

"Right!"

* * *

The group had decided to take a road off the beaten path lest they get found by a few villagers eager to see Yuna up close. Tidus was rather confused and sceptical of this decision, but much to his surprise there were no ravenous fiends to block their path.

"'Fore they disbanded the Crusaders cleaned up Besaid of all the big uns," Wakka had explained to him. "There was still some left over, but our Yuna made good work of them with her little gauntlet games. Ain't that right?"

Yuna beamed and cheered a little.

"Don't go showing off just yet, Yuna." Lulu made her point clear by rocking the bundle in her arms.

Tidus grunted to show his acceptance and receded once again. He had been sensing this strange, almost distant feeling in the air. Besaid didn't look all that different from the few times he had visited it, but there was still this _off_ -ness to it all. Like time had leaped out of its boundaries.

He couldn't exactly keep time in the void he hesitated to call his 'sleep,' so the question begged him. How long had he been gone?

"Are you okay?" Yuna called him quietly. Tidus lifted his head.

"Yeah. I'm just thinking about things."

"It's a lot to take in, isn't it?" She smiled sadly. "Just take your time."

There was that word again.

"You know what you need?" she said with a cheeky tone. "A big heap of brain food!"

He laughed. "I call dibs on the behemoth steaks."

"Oi. That's _my_ speciality."

"You look like you ate a literal behemoth, Wakka," Tidus teased him, taking pleasure in the man's sharply shifting face. "Lay them off for one night, will ya?"

"Wha-! _Yuna!_ "

"You _have_ gained some weight since my last mission…" she pondered with a finger on her chin.

Wakka harrumphed and folded his arms. "You know Yuna, you used to have at least some respect for me. I didn't become an elder just so you can make fun of me, ya?"

"You're an elder?" Tidus and Yuna blanched in unison.

Lulu had to admit - that got a chuckle out of her. Wakka, on the other hand, moaned and rubbed his face with his palm, soon to be followed by Tidus and Yuna's laughter.

"Just like old times, right?" Yuna looked up at Tidus - the man she had been searching for for all these months. A look of content caressed her face.

Tidus nodded back at her. If there was one thing he was incredibly grateful for, apart from being given a second life, it was that the distant feeling didn't lodge itself between him and his friends.

He couldn't bear the loneliness and guilt that swamped him back in _that_ place. His and Yuna's separation on that day, and the overwhelming sorrow between them - he never wanted to experience that again.

He wanted happiness.

"'Ere we are, kiddos. The good ol' sand pit," Wakka announced as they walked into the town. He squinted his eyes and looked up to the sun. "It's the afternoon already? Yeesh, hope I don't have to use the gasoline…"

"Yuna, why don't you take Tidus around? It would help him get more comfortable." Lulu requested kindly - a tone that she had been getting more used to.

"Can you get the food packs while you're at it?" Wakka bluntly asked, earning a smack from Lulu's free hand.

"However, I'd advise you stay away from the temple for now," she continued, her tone turning more serious. "How do I put this… Most of the elders in there seem to think that the High Summoner is reserved."

"Reserved? As in?"

"As in every definition in the dictionary," she stated. "And no offense, but you're not exactly 'normal' around these parts. If they see you two together they will no doubt make some dangerous assumptions."

"None taken," though Tidus was certain there was something else that she was implying.

"Lulu, we'll be fine! There's nothing to worry about," Yuna emphasized, swaying around with her hand ghosting eagerly above Tidus'. "I doubt that they'd recognise me right away in this outfit."

"I hope you know what you're doing, cause you did leave behind three months' worth of appointments for your sphere hunt," Wakka said worriedly, his back still turned. "If they catch you they'll lock you up for that time. Maybe more!"

"Wakka. They're already gone."

"...No respect," he grumbled to himself, throwing sticks together. "No dang respect."

* * *

Yuna led Tidus away without a word, finding herself having less and less patience being lectured to about her temple duties, especially now that _he_ was back. It wasn't that she didn't care about the parishioners, but she had a life too, didn't she?

Fairly confident that they were outside of hearing range, Yuna directed Tidus to the lot with the abandoned, ruined house. ' _Finally. A moment to ourselves.'_

"Shall we sit here for a bit?" Yuna asked.

"Fine by me!" Tidus exhaled deeply as he chose a damp, rotting log to make a seat.

Yuna followed suit, deciding to allow him some space; although she wanted nothing more than to hold him.

"Yuna?" Tidus began, a solemn baritone in his voice. ' _I need to know, right now.'_

"Yes Tidus?"

"When am I now?"

"I'm not sure I follow you." Yuna swallowed her reply, feeling painfully dense.

"Rather, how long has it been since you conquered Yu Yevon? Things have changed with you, with everyone. I can't tell you how long I was gone for, and it's messing with my head, so I hope you can fix that for me."

' _Oh yeah, that.'_

She recalled back to that fateful day and where it fit on the calendar, realising, "It's been a little over two years."

"Two years, huh?" Tidus contemplated as he stared at the ground. ' _I was gone for that long?'_ "I guess I have some catching up to do, don't I?"

"Perhaps a bit." Yuna's voice cracked, trying to soften the blow.

"Just be patient with me, okay?" ' _My goodness do I have a lot to make up for.'_

"Tidus, I put up with you for an entire pilgrimage!" Yuna blurted out before she realized what she said could have been taken the wrong way. ' _Ouch, I hope that wasn't too harsh! I didn't mean it like that!'_

"Yeah, I suppose you did, didn't you?" Tidus slapped his knee in a fit of laughter before composing himself, this time with a much wider grin on his face. "Don't worry - I had to put up with me too!"

Yuna giggled, calming down somewhat. Seeing him this happy and carefree made her refreshed. Satisfied, even. While the last two years had been a mostly wonderful time for Spira, it felt as if there was a jarring, gaping wound in Yuna's life. Something that only Tidus' special kind of jubilance could mend.

Not to say that she was the only one affected deeply by his disappearance; Lulu and Kimahri were better at moving on, but Wakka and especially Rikku were devastated. The former for the loss of whom he could consider his second brother, and the latter for the loss of a best friend and partner in crime. She too had set out on a desperate sphere hunt to find clues on Tidus' whereabouts, before realising how much she enjoyed the adventures and it became a full-time job for her.

' _She would come and visit me every few months just to talk about him and her discoveries,'_ Yuna mused, remembering the nights when they laughed at each other's stories about the man while also trying to hold back tears. ' _She was just trying to cheer us up. And I think it worked, maybe.'_

In fact, if it weren't for their last mission…

"By the way," Tidus shifted himself. "what's with that big airship you came out of?"

"That's the Celsius. It's the Al Bhed's new salvage," Yuna explained. "They had to retire the Fahrenheit since it's a warship, and they didn't want any more trouble."

"Is it just me or does it look like a giant lobster?"

Yuna was a _little_ dumbfounded. "I think your hunger is getting to you."

"Speaking of…" Tidus locked eyes with a palm tree just over the house's dilapidated roof. It was sporting two yellow, ripe coconuts. "Just a sec!"

He climbed between the gaps in the wall, flipped himself onto the awning with a sharp angle, strode over the solid parts of the roof and leaped off of the beam onto the bark of the tree. He harvested the coconuts and jumped back onto the roof, only to nearly drop them when he saw Yuna just beside him.

"How did you-?"

"Surprise!" Yuna chuckled, feeling proud of herself.

Tidus' shock dissolved and his lips stretched into a grin. "You really have changed."

"And there's plenty more where that came from." Yuna could feel a rush of adrenaline pumping through her veins. She took a coconut for herself and carelessly started down the roof. "I can tell you all-"

The straw gave way beneath her. She lost her balance and cried out for help - louder than she would like to admit. She toppled over, expecting to crash down on rotten, jagged rubble, but she was caught by a strong grip. Her face was buried in warm skin. She could hear the coconut she dropped fall down the hole and violently shatter into pieces.

"Tidus… uh- I, um-" She was stifled, breathless and her cheeks were flaring up, both from embarrassment and their proximity. "This doesn't happen _all_ the time. Heh."

Wordlessly, Tidus just held her closer and traversed the roof with a lot more strategy. She could feel both of their hearts convulsing from what just happened. A couple of minutes later they were back on sweet, solid ground.

"That was a close one, huh?" Tidus finally said, his voice quiet.

He set his coconut on the ground and embraced her fully. The butterflies in Yuna's stomach only got stronger.

"Hey, you don't have to be embarrassed," he assured her. "You're safe, right?"

Something warm and tingly was planted on his cheek. To say that he was taken aback would be quite correct.

"Thank you," Yuna whispered daintily, feeling as if she was floating on air. "I mean it."

A million sentences a second was running through his love-addled mind right now, but unfortunately he could only settle with one.

"I wouldn't mind if we did that more often, Yuna." After a few seconds and a much-needed realisation, he stammered uneasily. "Should-Should I just leave what I said as is, or…?"

She shook her head with a shimmering smile. "I wouldn't mind either, you know?"

Although they didn't want to, they had to pull away in order to get their bearings straight and their minds clear. Tidus picked up his coconut, causing Yuna to rub her neck out of guilt.

"Let's share," he suggested, carefully breaking it in half with a rock. They sat down on the log again, this time holding hands. "You can go first."

Out of sight from the town, just barely visible within the overgrown weeds, a frantic villager who had heard Yuna's shrieks was galloping down the narrow road of dirt. He heard more noises. They were coming from that abandoned house that had once been a nest for fiends. He ran faster and faster, his club clutched tightly in his fist. He bolted through the clearing-

What he expected turned out to be the complete opposite. The High Summoner and a _stranger_ sitting on a log, having an intimate moment. Before he could even think about it-

"Get away from Lady Yuna, you-you-you…whoever-you-are!" he yelled, startling the couple out of their cuddling. He held a stance with his club in front of him. "Or you'll regret it!"

"Yuna? What's going on?" Tidus was rapidly looking to and from their intruder. Yuna wasn't faring any better. "Hey, don't you remember me? I'm Tidus! I'm- you know, Yu-"

"Lady Yuna is with a strange man!" he howled to the sky over and over, hoping to alert the town.

And as the couple heard rustling from the vegetation, which eventually increased in power, they knew that they were done for. There was nowhere to hide and running away would only create a bigger stir than the one they were in.

"Let's just say that it was a misunderstanding, all right?" Tidus muttered, not sounding confident at all. "Somebody'll know who I am, right?"

And truth be told, Yuna wasn't confident enough to even answer back.


	3. Walking On Eggshells

**Chapter II**

* * *

"Ya know, I really saved your bacon." Wakka recounted, explaining the numerous tense moments with fellow elders when it didn't look good for the blitz ace.

"I can't repay you enough, Wakka." Tidus bowed his head, ever thankful that he hadn't gotten himself and Yuna into any more hot water.

"'Ey, don't mention it. You're welcome 'ere as long as Yuna'll have ya."

The misunderstanding took several days to hash out between the temple clergy and Yuna's guardians. Even though the prosecutor was there to witness Tidus' sudden reappearance with Yuna on the beach, vehement testimony from Wakka and Lulu to Tidus' character and role in the pilgrimage prevailed in the end. Even Kimahri Ronso answered summons from the temple to corroborate Wakka's and Lulu's accounts, although he left soon thereafter to attend to unrest at Mount Gagazet. Tidus, for his part, laid low at the Crusaders' Lodge while Yuna remained at the temple.

"I should have put my foot down," Yuna lamented, emerging from the temple to join her guardians at the bonfire. She was forced to wear a standard blouse and floor-length dress by the system's orders.

"Don't let 'em run ya over. Buncha ol' fashioned shriveled up prunes they are," Wakka waved dismissively.

Even as he said it, he realized it wasn't that simple. Yuna, for all she had done for Spira _twice_ now, had become ensnared once more in prudish, strict standards that the elders themselves would never keep. ' _And all the while_ I _made her talk to the parishioners day after day after day. I'm just as guilty.'_

"Prunes? Maybe. But the powers that be are making you into an idol of sorts." Lulu explained in a thoughtful tone. "Perhaps it would be wise to break the people of it while you can."

"I never wanted to be an icon. I only wanted to help everyone find their true path by beating Sin, and now I finally found my own! Why can't I walk mine while everyone else walks theirs?" Yuna fumed.

"The life of the saviour is an arduous one, so it seems." Lulu stared blankly into the crackling flames of the bonfire, which played off of her crimson eyes. "Even for her guardians."

"Has it always been like this?" Tidus finally decided to speak up. They turned their heads to look at him with a collective sorrow. "I mean, with you and the temple."

"Somewhat," Yuna spoke hesitantly. "Ever since we beat Sin - I suppose they've gotten more stubborn about my duties."

"They never allowed her to leave Besaid," Wakka spat lowly, brutal honesty as his weapon. "They were always bookin' her in for work in the temple and makin' her tell everyone her opinions on every single damned thing. Politics, her side on politics, whether politics is wrong or right - you know, it just got too much for her. She was at no age to talk about any o' that and yet they were washin' her up like one of the statues."

Tidus' face fell slowly and painfully. He turned to meet Yuna's gaze, who was sitting beside him. The depth of their eyes said more than words ever could.

"They made her wear the same clothes every day, never built her a house-" Wakka collected himself, taking deep breaths and grinding his thick fingers together. "And then suitors came from pretty much every group, demanding her hand."

Tidus' insides sank six feet under. " _What?_ "

"They thought that with a status as Yuna's husband, their group would succeed," Lulu continued with an underlying venom in her voice. "Thankfully all but three of them disbanded, and all the suitors retired."

"No wonder she ran away, ya?" Wakka chuckled emptily. "The temple treated her like a stock share."

Tidus couldn't believe. He just couldn't believe. He had had some unpleasantries with the temple before but he had thought that understandable considering his behaviour. But treating Yuna like _this_? After everything they did for Spira - everything they sacrificed, and _this_ is how they show their gratitude?

Tidus cracked his knuckles, seething - boiling over Yuna's treatment.

"Who do they think saved Spira? Have they ever wondered why they're still alive?!" he growled, staring down even the flames before him. "Wakka, have you ever tried talking to the other elders about all this?"

"Only got the job a few days ago, brudda." He twiddled his thumbs sheepishly. "And even then it's one of me against all of them."

Tidus drew out a long, frustrated sigh, his body slacking backwards. It felt as if they were still traitors.

"I think we need to take a walk somewhere, Tidus. To take our minds off all of this," Yuna suggested, laying her hand on his bare upper arm. "Can you two…?"

"Consider us shut." Wakka made a zipping motion across his mouth to drive the point home.

"Thank you." Yuna smiled - the first she had done in a few days. Tidus waved and they set off over the hill, hand in hand.

"Gotta be honest, Lu - I thought you'd shoot 'em down," Wakka blubbered, wincing in preparation for the firestorm.

"Don't be stupid." She glared at him before softening. "If it makes Yuna happy then I'll let them go, especially seeing as they need it right now. I see Tidus as a trustworthy man. Yuna does too."

Wakka hummed, straightening himself. "So you think he's a good choice for her?"

She laughed softly. "Long ago I would have kicked him out if I had the choice. But he's proven himself. As both a person and a guardian. He's welcome to stay here with her."

Wakka exaggerated his relief and fanned his face. "Good. I've got plans with his name all over 'em!"

Lulu raised an inquisitive eyebrow and left the conversation hanging there. She turned her attention to the starry sky, and then to the couple walking off into the night.

* * *

The silence stretched awkwardly as Yuna led Tidus up over the dimly lit hill. He followed curiously, not daring to speak up within earshot of the village lest anyone decide they had the right to snoop. Further away from civilization the couple crept, and Tidus could no longer contain his thoughts.

"I'm so sorry, Yuna," Tidus finally spoke.

Yuna turned her head, locking eyes with him. "About what?"

"About a lot of things." Tidus lolled his head over to survey the jungle below them. "I should have climbed that tree the normal way."

She carefully rehearsed the words in her head before reaching out to gently tug at his hand. Their eyes met once again. She could feel something within her spark at the contact.

"What's past stays in the past. We're together now. That's all that matters."

The double meaning impacted Tidus harder than either of them thought. He couldn't fight down the emotional grin that spread over his face. He took both of her hands and peered down at her.

"I guess you're right, huh?"

Yuna leaned forward and began to whisper in his ear: "I want to take you somewhere special."

"Special?" Tidus raised an eyebrow.

"You'll see." Yuna beamed, a cutesy grin curling up on her face. "It isn't much, but it means a lot to me."

He almost prodded further, but decided to go along with the surprise, trying to ignore his pounding heart thumping in his chest. They traversed across the bridges hanging beneath the waterfall cliffs, which glistened a milky cerulean in the moonlight. Memories flooded back into his mind when they walked past the buried remains of the machina city. They had taken their time - just enjoying each other's company, so when they finally set foot on the platinum sands the rest of the island had fallen into slumber.

He had just stood there on the shore for a silent while, awestruck by the sights before him. He had never seen the beach at night before. It looked like it didn't even belong on a mortal plane. Both the moon and the flurry of stars hung over the endless stretch of luminescent blue before him, as if they were taunting him to submerge himself in the solace.

"Ti-dus…" Yuna waved her hand in front of his face. "Is anybody in there?"

"Ah! Sorry, I was, uh," he shook his head, blinking irregularly. "Distracted?"

She huffed through her nose, trying not to laugh at him. ' _He's so cute when he does that.'_ "Come on, you. We're not there yet!"

"Right, right! Wherever you lead, I'll follow!" The confident, assured tone in which he said it combined with his bright smile elicited a vivid memory from a dark time in Yuna's pilgrimage. It served a purpose then in readying her guardians for battle, leaving no one behind. Now, it was different. Yuna bristled at the deference, knowing in her heart that he meant well by it.

"Tidus, in the back of my mind as we faced Sin was the thought that once this was all over, we could walk together side by side. Now that you're here, my feelings haven't changed."

Unexpectedly, Tidus erupted in a fit of laughter. ' _Laughter? I'm being serious here!'_

"I get what you're saying, but I still don't know the way!"

"Oh!" Yuna gasped. "Silly me! Come on, let's go!"

He took in the splendor of the moonlit beach in front of him, walking ahead of Yuna aimlessly, until startled by a firm tug on his neck collar.

"Not that way, silly! Didn't you see me stop?"

"Where, then?" Tidus looked the place over, bewildered as to where to go next.

"Up here!" Yuna pointed to a nearby ledge, wasting little time hoisting herself up. Tidus soon followed, a bit more gingerly, unaware of how stable the cliff would be. Yuna offered, and Tidus accepted her hand as a slight boost helping him up and over. Another outcropping followed, which allowed the pair to climb atop a set of ancient ruins. Confident of the structure's stability, she strode across with ease, while he took his time. ' _We're almost there.'_

"Okay, now we need to make a small leap to that ledge." Yuna explained, pointing the landing out to Tidus.

Yuna nailed the jump, much to his astonishment. ' _Wherever we're going, she's a pro at getting there!'_ Tidus took the leap next, stumbling upon landing and nearly tumbling over yet another ledge. "Whoa!"

"Hey! I didn't say you could go first!" Yuna teased as Tidus picked himself up off the ground.

"Well if you're so eager then, let's go!" Tidus growled, playfully wrapping Yuna up in his arms, pretending to toss her towards the aforementioned ledge.

"Tidus!" She squirmed, trying to wiggle free from his grasp. ' _I don't mind at all though. Really!'_

The two settled down long enough for Yuna to point out the last two ledges to climb down this time. Tidus followed Yuna down, touching down in sand once more. "So, where to next?" He asked inquisitively.

"This is it." Yuna smiled, taking his hand once more. "Isn't it peaceful?"

Tidus gazed at their surroundings, soaking it all in. First, the brilliant moon, casting its pale light into the cove, and its reflection brushed across the gentle ripples of a calm ocean. Framing the moon in the night sky twinkled thousands of stars, pale points of light contrasting a darkened backdrop. Adding to the serenity, a gentle offshore breeze swooped in, providing a comfortable chill in the air.

"This is my escape." Yuna continued.

"I can see why." Tidus replied, awestruck at the breathtaking view. He glanced at her as she stared out at the horizon, then took the opportunity to embrace her from behind.

"What if I followed you like this? Would this be okay?"

' _That voice…'_ "I… could be persuaded." She shifted her weight, relying heavily on Tidus for support as he clung to her.

"I thought so…"

Yuna shifted herself again, this time turning to face Tidus. ' _Those eyes…'_

His thoughts expressed the same sentiment.

The moment was right.

She pressed forward, slowly planting her lips against his in a passionate kiss. Tidus blinked, but reciprocated, somewhat taken aback by Yuna's forwardness.

As several moments of lip locking came to an end, Tidus sat down legs crossed in the sand. Yuna helped herself into his lap, upon which she found a warm embrace from the man she had longed for for far too long. The pair sat in silence for quite some time, both quietly stargazing.

"Yuna?" She closed her eyes, wrapped up in his warmth as he uttered her name in that silky smooth growl.

"Yes?"

"I love you."

* * *

Bevelle's grandiose splendour was prevalent even in the darkness, as the dim fires lit up every walkway for miles. Isaaru struggled to keep his eyes open; he had been on an energy-draining voyage to collect information about the High Summoner's latest scandal, per orders from New Yevon. Entering the temple he made his way down the golden-red decorated hallways and to a large, safeguarded door.

"Praetor?" he called through the peephole. "I deliver news."

Baralai took his time in opening the door. He too was looking worse for wear, sporting dark bags and tousled, matted hair. He silently led Isaaru in, set aside the towers of paperwork on his desk and motioned for him to continue.

"I got permission to enter Besaid's temple during the trial," he started, setting the case documents down in front of him. "Thankfully Lady Yuna is in no harm. She's doing well as far as we're concerned."

"Thank the fayth." Baralai released a bated breath. "Have you found out the reason for the trial?"

"Yes…" his eyes faltered, slowly giving the photographs to him. "A witness said she was found with a man. I can't help but think he looks familiar."

He took a photograph and adjusted his eyesight to it, only for his breath to hitch suddenly and to feel a cold sweat breaking out. _**He**_ was standing before the clergy, with Sir Wakka and Lady Lulu by _**his**_ side.

' _This cannot be! We laid him to rest!'_

Baralai clutched his chest and took deep breaths, with Isaaru watching curiously. He studied the rest of the photographs with a shaky grip. The pictures were fuzzy, but he was definitely wearing different clothes. His hair seemed to look different as well. Yet he couldn't help but raise his suspicions anyway. Why would they look so similar?

' _It's not like I can recall Shuyin's features entirely. I don't exactly want to remember him.'_ He shut his eyes and clenched his fists. Not after everything he did to him and his friends, and how he had nearly bested Sin when it came to the world's destruction. ' _But why would Yuna let him near her?'_

"I must alert the Youth League and the Machine Faction," Baralai piqued, maintaining his position. "I will not take any chances."

"Praetor," Isaaru challenged. "He claimed to be called Tidus and to be Lady Yuna's guardian, and her other guardians had backed him up."

"If there's one thing I learnt in this world, it's that people can lie, Isaaru. If he's innocent then he's innocent. If not we will have to take proper action." He gyrated, his gentle voice almost breaking apart. "I will get to the bottom of this, and so help me if my instincts turn out to be true. I will not let the Eternal Calm fall apart again!"

He fumbled around for two CommSpheres in the drawer and tuned them.

"Praetor. It's the middle of the night," Isaaru warned him, worried for his health.

"And you're dismissed, Isaaru. Thank you for your help." Baralai watched the spheres intently with clasped hands in front of his face, feeling the blood loudly pulse through his palms.

The door closed, and for the first time in his term he couldn't remind himself to lock it again.


	4. Coincidence

**Chapter III**

* * *

Yuna swore that she had only closed her eyes for a few minutes. But here they were, nuzzled into each other's warmth on the soft sand, just in time for the dawn. It was a wonderful feeling she couldn't describe with words alone - for the sleepy, peaceful form of her lover to be her first sight, and the next to be the golden, gorgeous sunrise spreading colours over their secret spot. For the lulling sounds of the ocean breeze to sing quietly to them as he breathed - sweet and soft - just on the sensitive part of her forehead.

"I told you it was rose-coloured." She leaned back to look up at Tidus. They grinned, knowing exactly what he was talking about. "But then it goes this pinkish-gold in the clouds as well. And that blue over there - that makes the sea look like that over there, right?"

She hoped that she could get to have this feeling for every morning to come.

They waded through the opening of the cove and scaled down the slippery rocks, past the blooming coral reef and back to the island. Tidus gave out a loud yawn and stared up at the audience of trees before them. Yuna leaned into his side as he held her shoulders with one arm.

' _It feels nice being official like this.'_ Yuna smiled contently before supporting herself. "So what'll we do today?"

"Well, it's a good day as usual. You could show me what's new with you," Tidus suggested before a little bit of bashfulness settled in. "And I was thinking we could get a place built for us."

She blinked and exclaimed a bit. She bit the insides of her cheeks to stop them from expanding. "We could ask Lulu and Wakka about that."

Tidus' stomach growled, causing them both to laugh. They managed to find their way back to the town by the early morning. Wakka was already awake and patrolling the breakfast bonfire, his eyes bloodshot and his mouth complaining about Vidina's wailing during the night. They greeted him and made their way to the temple. Yuna noticed that her clothes were all grimy and that there was a long tear running straight up her dress.

"I'm gonna go change. I won't be long." She got onto her tiptoes, pecked Tidus' forehead and waltzed into the temple, humming a little tune.

"She treats you well, ya?" Wakka commented untactfully, shuffling over to his side.

"Yeah…" Tidus whispered, swooning a little as he watched the temple doors. "Normally I'd be the one giving them to her."

"And just whaddya mean by _normally_ , eh?"

' _Oh, shoot!'_

"Ha! I'm just playin' with ya." He smacked his shoulder, guffawing a little more at the expression on the young man's face. "'Sides, don't think that was a bad influence you gave her on her pilgrimage."

"You sure were quick to change your mind, Mister 'Don't-Get-Any-Ideas'!" he retaliated, poking his bulging stomach. Wakka just spat from his teeth and held up a defensive hand.

"By the way, Tidus…"

Suddenly Wakka dropped to his knees, his eyes boring into the man's yellow sneakers.

"Can you come back to the Aurochs? Please?" he pleaded. "We haven't had any luck last year, and not even a chance this year! We need your help!"

Yuna came out of the temple again, holding a dressphere in her hand. She was wearing shorter, more free-flowing clothes, with her amazingly long ponytail still swooping around.

"Well. This is something to come back to," Yuna said with a frog in her throat. She locked eyes with Tidus, who was just as bewildered as she was about the situation.

"I-I don't know, Wakka," Tidus tried to focus all his attention on him, but it wasn't working. "I mean- I just got back. And I was planning to do things today, and-"

"Please, I'm beggin' ya!"

"And- I haven't played in two years!"

"That means you're fresh! An' ready to go, right?"

"For the love of-" Tidus smacked his forehead, turning a little skittish. "Um. Yuna. I think you need to balance this out because I'm-really-creeped-out-right-now."

"I'll do anythin' ya want, just name it all right?" Wakka clasped his hands together shakily.

"Tell you what," Tidus bursted out, making sure that he was at least five feet away from the man. "I'll substitute for you, starting next year. Is that good?"

" _Substitute?!_ " Wakka's jaw met Mother Earth. "Naw man - you gotta be the new star player! Botta can't even hit the ball half the time!"

"It sounds to me that the coach needs to be fired if that's the case!" Tidus jabbed back with a wry grin.

" _Excuse me_?!" Wakka lurched to his feet. "I'll have your head for that!"

"Wakka."

Lulu had crept up onto the scene, displaying a not-very-subtle fury in her eyes.

"You cry louder than the baby, for goodness' sake."

Humiliated and shaken out of his stupor, Wakka turned to look at the two women standing beside him. His wife looked severely disappointed, whilst Yuna couldn't decide between amusement and secondhand embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, ya? I take representin' Besaid very seriously, an' it gets the better of me at times." Wakka sighed, rising to his feet. "Look, let me make it up to you guys, eh?"

"I'm sorry too," Tidus intervened, folding his arms with a tired look on his face. "I gotta be honest with you. I'm just not feeling the blitz feeling any more, you know? I don't know why- or how, just I lost it some time ago."

Wakka and Yuna stared at him, silently shocked.

"I still like it and all! I just don't really wanna go professional any more," he emphasized, putting on a forced smile. "Blitzball is kinda something from my past. I want to move on and discover more things out there, rather than just stick with the same thing, you know?"

"Are you sure?" Wakka asked, seemingly resigned to Tidus' answer.

Tidus grunted, nodding in the affirmative. "It's a new chapter in my life. Besides, I can't offer much to your team as I am anyways. Sure I'm in great shape, but I'm nowhere near blitzball shape. I've been out for too long, and getting it back isn't something I'm ready for."

"Okay. But you're still welcome on the island!"

"Gee, thanks." Tidus feigned offense.

"Just kiddin'," Wakka chimed irritatedly.

"What was I even doing again?" Tidus scratched his head, only to hear Yuna clear her throat and stand beside him. "Oh, yeah. Okay."

"You see, now that you're _both_ here," Yuna rocked back and forth, intentionally focussing on Lulu a little more than Wakka. "Tidus suggested to me that we get a house for ourselves. Is that a good idea to you?"

The corners of Lulu's mouth crept upwards. "We'd have no problems with that. May I suggest we refurbish that old house over the plants? You'd have to get a permit from the landlord, but it'd be a nice spot."

"I can help with that," Wakka offered, wrapping a brotherly arm around Yuna's shoulders. "I'm sure it'll be a cinch!"

"Really?" Yuna's eyes lit up, rapidly shifting her gaze amongst her three closest friends before gazing at Tidus. _Our very own home? Us? If this is a dream, don't wake me up!_

"Aw yeah! I'll even get it put up for ya!" Wakka chuckled heartily. "Consider it payment for ya boytoy over there bringin' us the Crystal Cup a coupla years ago."

Tidus grinned, showing his teeth. He leant down to Yuna to talk between them. "How fitting that house's the place, huh?"

"Let's not go running on the roof until it's finished," Yuna spoke back, giggling a bit.

"But first of all, ya can't go building houses all willy-nilly without some grub in the tub," Wakka caught his fist in his palm, turning towards the bonfire with drool hanging from his mouth. "We've got dingo ribs and herbs to go around!"

Tidus took Yuna's hand and led them over to the outdoor table, picking up some plates and glasses for them. Back in his Zanarkand he thought that living on a beautiful tropical island with his best friends and the girl of his dreams would only be a fantasy. And yet life was kind to him - after the long, hellish road to happiness that is.

But as he said: that was all in the past. This was now a new chapter in their story, and he was going to make sure that it would be a good one.

* * *

For a week the land was nothing but a construction site as all of the able-bodied men on Besaid chipped in to restore the building. The stone was washed and fitted, the wood was chopped fresh and carved and the cloth was woven intricately in-between the gaps. The deadly-sharp rubble was carefully cleaned out and replaced with a tatami mat and all of the basics. Finally it resembled something close to a home. It was still somewhat flawed and plain, not to mention a lot smaller than the couple would have liked, but with time they could have it expanded upon (and hopefully have something done with the moss pit they called a 'garden').

Overseeing the hard work being accomplished, Tidus stepped away from their home, drenched in sweat. To combat it he had decided to ditch his uniform in favour of going shirtless. He approached Wakka, who also was taking a short water break. "I don't know how to repay you for what you've done for us. Thank you."

"That Crystal Cup is payment enough, brudda," Wakka assured the young man.

"Yuna deserves it anyway," Jassu panted, catching up with his coach. "Them ol' geezers won't catch her a break an' we're showin' 'em who's the real leaders 'round here."

"You know a spot's still open for ya if ya want it. We need another frontliner like you, eh?" Datto added, turning his attention towards hammering a piece of trimming into place.

"That'll be enough," Wakka admonished, then turned to whisper into Tidus' ear. "There really is though if ya ever change your mind."

Tidus resisted the urge to roll his eyes, only to be replaced with an urge to see Yuna. His body language was all that Wakka needed to get the message.

"I saw her go out of the temple and to the beach," he continued to whisper, raising a suggestive eyebrow. "I promise I'll have the house done by tonight. No more Crusader cramps for you, ya?"

"Weird. She usually tells me where she's going first," he thought out loud, feeling a frown settling in.

"Prob'bly fell out with the elders again. Why doncha go down and surprise her?"

"Are you sure you don't need my help?" Tidus offered rather emptily.

"Nah, go ahead. We'll be fine! I got two whole hours of sleep last night, so I'll be _fine_!" Wakka insisted, waving him off when he kept questioning his sanity.

Tidus finally give up and bid farewell to the workers before starting his daily trip over the hill. There was this churning feeling in his gut - his instincts telling him that something was up. It was a sort of sixth sense that he always had, and he knew right there and then that he should find Yuna as soon as possible.

He sprinted out onto the beach and almost instantly noticed her on the shore. She wasn't attacked, so that was the worst case scenario out of the way. However she was sitting cross-legged, her arms taut and her head bent. Very slowly he approached her and crouched down beside her, startling Yuna out of her thoughts.

"Is something on your mind?" Tidus asked, before noticing the rigid expression set upon her face. Timidly she faced him; a cold sweat running down her forehead.

"They…Bevelle. They think you're Shuyin." She swallowed, balling her fist atop the sand.

"Who's Shuyin? Shu…" Tidus ran the name under his breath a few more times. "Never heard of him."

Yuna paused for a moment before pulling a case out of her pouch. She opened it to reveal the sphere. The sphere that kicked off her entire journey.

"Remember when I said that I saw this sphere of you?" she questioned, holding it between them. "Well, it's not actually you. But… you'll see."

She activated the sphere, adjusting the display to allow Tidus a better view before the hazy, distorted film began. After a moment, Shuyin appeared.

Tidus felt as if his blood chilled by several degrees. The video continued, the aching pit in his stomach only getting worse.

' _Holy crap. He looks like me. He even sounds like me. His clothes are distinctly Zanarkandian. He's trying to save the summoner? His girl?'_

"W-what the-"

"This was the reason I left the island and joined up with the Gullwings. I thought it was you, but I wasn't sure, so I _had_ to find out."

She took out another sphere - another one of the man that Tidus so closely resembled. This one had a guard taunting him, and Tidus could even feel the hatred radiating from the sphere's rippling, torn image whenever it focussed on his face.

The words that Shuyin ended on sent a feeling of dread coursing through his soul:

" _Someday... your precious weapons will end up destroying you."_

And the worst part was - considering the history Tidus knew… he had predicted the future.

"I think- I think I recall the fayth telling me something, back on the pilgrimage," Tidus confessed meekly, shuffling closer to Yuna for comfort. "When they told me I was a dream, and that I was a memory of the real thing. Like, some clone, or something."

Overwhelming sorrow settled in-between his bones. He looked at Yuna with something coming to resemble pure terror.

"You don't think I used to be Shuyin, right?" He tensed up. "You don't think I really said all that stuff, right?"

"No! The Tidus I know would never say such a thing." Yuna wrapped her arm around Tidus' waist, squeezing gently. "You're too pleasant to be him!."

A multitude of questions danced inside his head, each without an answer. This time even Yuna's love couldn't force his mind from it.

"Tidus?"

"Hmm? Sorry, I was thinking…" He turned, a grim expression across his face. ' _Add ignoring Yuna to the list of things to feel awful about.'_

"Are you okay?" She offered a weak smile.

"Yeah, I - I'm fine."

' _He's still a horrible liar.'_

"Ti-"

"Is Shuyin still alive? Did he do anything?" Tidus barked before faltering upon seeing her glum expression. "Wait. He was an unsent, wasn't he? Did he cause any chaos?"

"He used Nooj, the Youth League Meyvn, and then Praetor Baralai of New Yevon to locate Vegnagun, an ancient colossus stored in Bevelle's underground," Yuna explained, recounting the calamity. "Once he succeeded he bore into the Farplane, destabilizing it to the point that fiends started pouring out of the temples. Even the aeons reemerged!"

He nodded slowly at every sentence, understanding and yet not at the same time. He looked at his bare hands. "So that must be what I felt in the Farplane. I swore that I woke up at one point, and I kept hearing your voice, but I don't remember anything after that."

"I met Shuyin in there. I almost thought he was you." Yuna gazed absently at the rolling tide. "But then I saw your light and you guided me out. If you didn't I could have been trapped in there forever, and eventually become part of it. So… thank you."

He laid his hand on her cheek. After a moment she leaned into his shoulder.

"What happened then?"

"Lenne," the word rolled off of her tongue. "We found out that he wanted to save a summoner called Lenne and free Spira by destroying it with Vegnagun. I think he mistook the conflict between Youth and Yevon as the Machina War still ongoing. So with her help we brought temporary peace, tracked Shuyin and Vegnagun down and stopped them. He and Lenne are now resting somewhere in the Farplane."

Tidus hummed, feeling just a little relieved. So Yuna had to save the world once again and reunite two people with a story dangerously similar to theirs. ' _That must have been terrible. Spira seriously owes her one.'_

"So Shuyin's dead. For good. Right?" He cocked his head to the side. "So why's everyone on my case? Just because I look like him?"

"Exactly," Yuna sighed in frustration at Bevelle's paranoia. "Let's just hope they see you and realise they were sorely mistaken. Even though I understand what they're going through."

"Does anyone remember me from before?" Tidus asked. "I mean, Auron was a legendary guardian from your father's pilgrimage, right? I'm not saying I measure up at all, but doesn't anyone remember who can attest to my character?"

Part of her felt like it was her fault that all traces of his presence had disappeared from the people. She didn't exactly want to talk about him, instead preferring to keep their good times together as private as possible. And whenever she did mention him in conversation it was infuriatingly vague. In fact ever since he disappeared she never once recalled uttering his name in any situation. Until he came back, that is. Now she couldn't go a few minutes without mentioning her lover's shenanigans in some capacity.

' _Even back then when I knew I was going to die, it still felt like I was taking him for granted,'_ she mused bittersweetly. "I suppose that's what love does."

"Huh?"

She slipped a little, brushing her hair across his neck. "I'm going to make sure you get the respect you deserve from now on, Tidus. Whatever comes our way because of this mix-up - I won't let anything happen."

It felt as though Yuna was trying to distract Tidus, and she almost succeeded. Yuna's thoughts, however, needed to be addressed.

"You say that like you're guilty."

"Maybe I am…" Yuna withdrew, staring into the sand. "I didn't know how to deal with losing you, so I kept quiet…"

Oh. He didn't mean it like that. He needed to cheer her up. Preferably as quickly as possible.

"Man, my throat's burning up after all that talking!" he exaggerated himself with his kinetic movements. "Whaddya say we take a dip? I think we need to freshen up."

Yuna still looked guilty. Close to tears, even.

"Guess what? Wakka says he'll have our home done tonight!" he hollered, taking both of her hands. "So we don't have to get separated any more."

"Really?" Yuna fixed her gaze upon Tidus, unable to resist smiling. "Our home is going to be finished that quickly?"

"Yep!" Tidus wrapped his arms around Yuna's waist. "So, no more worries for today, all right?"

She bit her lip, reciprocating his movements. She slyly eyed the water before them and didn't even think twice before splashing him. It didn't take long before they were sloshing around and playing in the shallows, and not long after that before they were metaphorically and literally caught up in the waves of passion.


	5. A Shadow

**Chapter IV**

* * *

Nooj was in no state of health to be travelling as far as he was, but no matter how adamantly Lucil presented her concern to the Meyvn, he would simply ignore her or chuckle at her pitifully. Ever since he had emerged from the shadows after mysteriously vanishing, she had been noticing failures in his machina husk: spasms; malicious wires; convulsions acting dangerously similar to septic shock - but he wouldn't listen. He just wouldn't listen.

And she was terrified that he would soon resign as the fabled 'Nooj the Undying.'

"There's Gippal's crew," he stated, his voice as soulless as ever. He nonchalantly directed his sailboat over to the facilitated cargo ship.

They were stationed at the lone docking point a few miles off from Besaid's shores. It was just before the crack of dawn, with the weak light of the sun being choked by clouds as black as charcoal. Gippal walked out of his cabin, shivering and quietly cursing the cold in his native tongue.

"Noojster," he greeted him simply from their vessels, holding up a lax hand and a limp wrist.

"Did you bring the pyrefly darklight?" Nooj cut right to the chase.

"Safe and snug in the box over there." He inclined his head to the Al Bhed securing the large crate on the deck.

"Good. So you somehow remembered what Baralai told us." He adjusted his spectacles upon the hazy silhouette of the island. "Remember to be tactful."

"Don't worry. If the little SOB tries anything I have my baby at the ready," Gippal bragged, holstering his engine-bazooka hybrid.

" _Dyldvim, Gippal."_

"Yeah-yeah, right," he heaved in annoyance. "Geez, you really need a sense of humour!"

"Let's wait until morning." Nooj hobbled over to his lounging chair to rest. "We don't want them to think we're making an ambush."

"Wait, what? So we're just gonna wait it out and not do anything?" Gippal turned over his palm and shrugged in a state of complete disbelief. "What- Hey! We're not gonna play cards or Spiran Scrabble or anything?"

"I like the ocean." The Meyvn grinned with a smug air about him. "It reminds me that I'm finite."

"Hu fuhtan oui yna ymm nicdat, oui mywo relg," he seethed, the crashing tides fortunately blocking his voice from getting across.

* * *

A slither of light shone through the curtains of the make-shift canopy they were curled up on. Yuna mumbled groggily, her glossy eyes tilting upwards to see if Tidus was awake. She traced a lone finger down his fine abdomen, causing him to shudder and roll towards her. Rubbing his eyes he kissed Yuna on the head, cuddled her until she fell back asleep and went to wash up.

He opened the kitchen window to let some fresh air in, and then went over to the small larder to prepare some ingredients.

A crinkle of a smile danced onto his face as he took in the moment. Here he was, making breakfast for two in their very own home, wherein time seemed to slow down and not pressure him at all. It was like he now had a proper family. Someone to rest with and to return to safely - something he never felt he really had in Zanarkand.

Well, until Auron decided to move in.

Yet he remembered as he had gone through his teenage years, his mentor had left without a word. His neighbour told him it was for his independence. And once again he was reminded that he was a lonely, orphaned boy in a labyrinth of a city, whose father had disappeared and whose mother had given up on him.

He wondered where Auron and Jecht were now; the last he had seen of them was their flickering outlines when he had jumped off the Fahrenheit. He swore to have made contact with his father then, but then… nothing. Just a void of nothing.

But why? Why didn't he join them? Were they worried for him? If it hadn't been for Yuna would he have been drifting in that purgatory forever, never to wake up again?

' _Fresh air. I need fresh air.'_ The persistent thought festered in the front of his mind.

He finished kneading the dough and placed it in the furnace, and then strolled outside to go scavenging.

Some time later he was topping off the table vase with red flowers when he felt sleepy, slender arms wrap around him from behind.

"Morning, Sunshine," Yuna cooed affectionately. She took a whiff of the tart, smoky air. "You're cooking up something good."

"It's fruit bread. I figured we'd have something healthy today. Can't have barbecues every morning." He turned in her grasp to ruffle her hair playfully, causing her to laugh melodiously. "Won't be long now. I'd say about fifteen minutes."

"I can't wait," she whispered, finicking with her ponytail. She leaned to the side to see what he was doing. "Are those hibiscus?"

He stuttered as his limbs went on autopilot. "Too sappy?"

"Are you kidding me? Hibiscus are my favourite flowers!" She beamed with a little flourish, moving around to stroke the soft petals. "Where did you find these? I thought the fiends killed them all."

"If you go through the jungle behind the house there's a clearing a ways away. There's a couple of trees where they're growing on them."

"I'd like it if we went there," she said mellowly, painting a mental image of a secluded, natural haven surrounded by gorgeous flora. "I hope nobody's looking for me today. Or you for that matter."

"We'll just have to check in and find out." Tidus moved back over to the counter, trying to banish the foreboding twinge in his gut.

They shared the loaf of crusty bread and downed it with some coconut milk. After that they were ready to go for the day. Together they walked down the road, the weeds hacked back, and into the town. Almost immediately Lulu homed in on them, carrying Vidina in her arms. She looked baffled and worried.

"You two. Wakka went into the temple and-" she blurted before they could even get a word out. "I… admittedly don't know what's going on. I think he received a transmission from the sea."

Yuna looked all around her. The civilians were sectioned off into groups and talking in hushed, forceful tones. "Where is he now?"

"He and the elders just took off towards the overlook." She handed Vidina to Letty who had volunteered to babysit, and motioned her hand to the steep promontory in the distance. "You should go and find out what's happened."

"Let's go." Tidus' voice was determined. His pumped his fist, his eyes shrouded.

"With haste." Yuna's voice echoed the same determination, albeit with a hint of dread. ' _If the townsfolk are anything to go by…'_

The couple sprinted their way up the steep incline, cresting the hill to arrive at a gaggle of men, splintered into factions. Out at sea were two ships - each of them bearing the crests of the Youth League and the Machine Faction.

"Nooj, Gippal? What are they doing here?" Yuna gasped, stopping dead in her tracks. Tidus continued forward.

"Hey, what's going on?" Tidus asked innocently. "Is there anything we can help with?" To the last, every single person fixed a cold stare upon him, unsettling Tidus with immediate effect.

"Uh, guys?" Even Wakka remained frozen silent, a glint of resignation in his face.

Nooj confronted them, a power resounding through his limping, agonising legs with every step. He bore into Tidus' eyes with an uncaring bravery, carefully - silently observing his enemy's every breath and movement.

"The wolf approaches us as a sheep." Nooj spoke deadpan, as if pronouncing Tidus' guilt a mere fact, unfit for debate. He clutched Tidus' wrist with his prosthetic claw and he whimpered like a sad, starved dog; he could break his bones if he so desired.

"Hey-hey-ey!" Wakka roared, having to be restrained by his fellow elders. "Whaddya doin' to him?! I think you got the wrong guy, pal!"

"This man, this...apparition, poisoned our minds, turned us against each other, and tried to kill us all. He used us to locate Vegnagun and almost succeeded in blowing Spira apart. And you're in league with this _pycdynt_?" growled Gippal.

"What…?" Wakka looked back and forth between the predator and his prey. "Well, it's- it's true that he wasn't really _alive,_ but that was-"

" _Wakka!_ Do you know what you're even saying?!" Yuna shrieked. Very rarely did her stoicism collapse like this, but- she couldn't comprehend all of this. Why was everyone jumping to conclusions? Could they not see the obvious differences? How much more _different_ Tidus was? Did they not know their history?

Did they not know who Tidus was?

"Lady Yuna has lost her mind," one of the soldiers mumbled, only to be followed by similar remarks. "Is it the work of him?"

"I'm telling you, he was my guardian!" Yuna pleaded, her eyes watering; her voice breaking. "He's why I'm still alive!" ' _Why can't they leave us alone?'_

"Yeah, I was there! If I was so awful, would I have allowed Yuna's pilgrimage to be successful?"

"Yea, he was our MVP, 'at he was!" Wakka howled in protest, to no avail.

And just then, when Nooj looked like he was going to injure her lover further, she pounced forward, arms outstretched with the intent to detain… only to be held back by one of the elders.

"Lady Yuna." The elder heaved down her neck with a furious disapproval. "Contain yourself."

And just then Yuna felt the strength escape from her muscles. She just wanted to fall to her knees. The feeling of defeat was unbearable.

"I must commend you for one thing, Shuyin of Zanarkand," Nooj began, smiling with a venomous malice. "If it hadn't been for Yuna you would have given me the warrior's death I've always wanted. That's an impressive feat."

"I'm telling you, that is not me!" Tidus howled, grimacing as it felt his wrist could be crushed at any time.

He signalled for his soldiers to circle Tidus, as Gippal commanded the same. A few stayed behind to suppress Yuna and Wakka.

"Men, we must take him away and perform the pyrefly test," Nooj announced, triumph oozing over him. "You know what to do if he fails it."

Tidus protested once again but Gippal held his weapon to his face, and he said no more as his humanity was stripped from him. He twisted his back to try and look at Yuna one last time. But to no avail.

* * *

"What's the pyrefly test?"

Lulu had asked that with a genuine curiosity to Gippal, who was standing put in the middle of the town. She hadn't seen any of her three companions since they went over the hill, but she had caught the Al Bhed complaining about the aforementioned method being 'unnecessary in obvious cases.'

"I'd thought a Black Mage like you would know about that," he said disparagingly, tapping his foot on the ground. "Then again it's an art recently revived."

"Cut it. Tell me."

He sighed - almost moaned, before looking her in the eyes.

"When you're alive or a willing unsent your pyreflies aren't visible, but their aura is still there. We invented the pyrefly darklight to capture that aura in image frames." He paused to let the explanation sink in. "We then use those images as a control and then send the culprit to a bunch of pyreflies, still under the darklight. If the readings don't match up I'd reckon you know what happens next."

"And why are you talking about it here of all places?"

"Long story short: there's a Class Possessor unsent here. We reckon he's trying to play innocent by puppeteering Yuna and Sir Wakka."

"You can't possibly be referring to Tidus, can you?" Lulu groaned incredulously.

"Apparently that's what Shuyin calls himself these days." He rolled his eyes. "He's not very creative. They sound the same if you ask me."

"If you harm any of them, you will face my wrath…" Lulu could feel her blood beginning to boil.

" _Oui duu, rir_?" Gippal could feel a bead of sweat roll down his face. "Do I need to issue a quarantine on this whole island or what?"

"Need I remind you that I'm a master of third level black magic and proficient in _fourth_ level death and destruction?"

"Need I remind you that I have a _gun?"_

"You wouldn't." Lulu chuckled darkly. "Not to one of Yuna's guardians. You'd be executed on the spot."

"You know what? Good point. Damn good point." He held up both of his hands defensively and backed away. "So let me read your mind: Where's Shu-Tidus, right?"

"Let me guess. You all have something to do with it." Lulu glared at him, an intense venom in her eyes.

"Not me at the moment, technically," he corrected her. "He's with Nooj right now. Probably taking him to the closest abundance they can find."

"Which is at?"

"I'm a machinist, lady. Not a pyrefly voodooist."

"It's a good thing I'm one then," she grinned, swiping a braid out of her hair. A Graviga spell was clasped in her hand.

"You know, it'd be over with a lot sooner if you could find one for 'em if that's the case."

"Exactly." She sheathed the spell and began to run to the hill, maintaining her skill underneath all of her heavy clothing. "And the sooner he can be proven innocent!"

Gippal just stood there in silence. The whole town was silent was once. After a little while he stopped gawking, moaned for his headache and tuned his earpiece.

"And make that one more for the pleasure cruise, Noojster. Lady Lulu's caught onto us too."

* * *

"I demand to know the meaning of this!" Lulu thundered, announcing her arrival to a group of soldiers sealing off the perimeter.

"Ma'am, we can't allow you in here." The senior officer stepped forward, his charges joining him to present a united front.

"Firaga it is, then." Lulu chuckled darkly as she lifted her hand, an intense orb of flame forming within it. That unnerved the squad quite a bit, now murmuring amongst themselves as they discussed their next course of action.

"Sir, that's a level _three_ spell!"

"I know!"

"Sir, we're only afforded level one protection!"

"I'm well aware of that, Private!"

"Stand down." The soldiers and Lulu both turned, seeing the Meyvn hobble toward the confrontation.

"Meyvn Nooj! Are you sure about this, sir?" The Youth League major asked as he saluted their leader, thanking the stars that he and his men were seemingly relieved of carrying out their previous orders.

"You were going to let her in anyways." Nooj clapped back in a nonchalant tone.

 _Ouch._

"If she really wants to come along, then so be it," he grudgingly accepted, shrugging his shoulders. "Shuyin is on complete lockdown anyway. Dispeller force-fields and everything. He's completely useless without his powers."

"If you're looking for a pyrefly abundance, I can help you with that, Meyvn." Lulu unsheathed her Graviga spell once again.

"I appreciate the offer, but Praetor Baralai's already prepared a spot for us in the Via Infinito," Nooj explained, taking her under his wing. "It's where all of the corrupted souls go to roam. It's perfect for his test."

Lulu nodded steadily. "And where is this 'Shuyin' if I may ask?"

"He's not on this ship. He's on the other one."

And sure enough, within the musty and polluted works of Gippal's cargo ship laid an exhausted and terrified prisoner - contained in a cacophony of magic distorters, silencing gas and zero-degree temperatures. Funnily enough none of that was what was gnawing deep into his conscience and making him want to lash out at the burning barriers.

 _It was the disrespectful, nasally, motor-mouthed little_ _ **insect**_ _that was 'guarding' him._

"Salutations, rowdy spirit that almost destroyed the world! Meyvn Nooj - yes, _Meyvn Nooj himself_ sent me down here to keep watch over you! Isn't he just the swellest guy? Oh - anyway, so you really tried to kill us all, huh? Ha, you don't even look the part! I never looked the part myself when I got this position in the Youth League, so I can't believe I share something in common…"

' _Oh God. Oh. My. God. Make it stop. He's been going on for ages! Make it STOP!'_

"Yaibal?" an Al Bhed called from the other side of the corridor. "Time for our lunch break."

"Gosh, I wonder what the Al Bhed eat on their lands. Cacti and potions? It's not like anything can grow out there…" He continued to blabber on and on as he tripped over all of the mechanisms along the way.

He reveled in the fading echoes of the boy's squeaking, ignorant voice until only the reverbs of the force-fields and the gentle hissing of the pipes remained.

It wasn't enough that he looked like Shuyin - and sounded like him - and was being treated like a caged beast because he was being mistaken for him, but now they were calling him by Shuyin's name and his nature. With not even a chance to explain himself.

And the longer he was trapped in this deteriorating chamber of a room - being constantly reinforced as Shuyin - being taunted by a guard on freedom's side, he couldn't help but feel that, as ridiculous as it sounded, his own identity was slowly fading away.

His eyelids started to grow heavy and he knew despite the lack of windows that it must be dark outside. He curled up on the hard, metallic floor and tried to sleep despite the tears threatening to fall.

All he wanted was for Yuna to come in and reassure him that he would be okay - that he _was_ okay. That he was not Shuyin and that he was Tidus. Himself. His own person.

He didn't want to be the memory of somebody else.

* * *

 _Bevelle. It always comes back to Bevelle. I learned my father died here. I was branded a traitor here. We endured the Via Purifico here. War almost erupted because this place refused to bend in the throes of my Eternal Calm. And now, the love of my life is imprisoned and facing death, the product of a misunderstanding from where else? Bevelle._

 _Bevelle might have been where I was born nearly twenty years ago, but it has never been my home._

"They gotta clear his name, they just gotta, yeah?" Wakka grumbled, pounding his clenched fist against his knee.

Lulu chuckled grimly, her go-to mechanism when she felt resigned to something she was incapable of controlling. "I offered my services but I think I was deemed too biased."

"And Nooj isn't? He had Shuyin in his head for two years and he's seeing red!" Yuna postulated, her anger and sorrow seeping through.

"Are you sure about this?" Lulu asked, raising an eyebrow.

Yuna nodded. "We got to the bottom of it when Shuyin hijacked Baralai from Nooj's body. We located records of the event from a cave in Mushroom Rock. It...wasn't pretty."

"If that's the case, maybe we can-"

"Enough squawking." A guard sneered as he walked by, rudely interrupting the conversation. "We're about to land in Bevelle momentarily. Then you'll get to see the light, _hopefully._ Or is it too late for you too?"

Yuna wanted to say something back, but instead focused her glum stare to the cold, metallic floor. _It's not like the word of the person who's saved the world twice counts for much, anyways._

The engines gradually spooled down as the ship made its final approach. The crew scrambled, initiating docking procedures. When the activity settled down, the engines fell silent.

"We're here."

The witnesses and the prisoner himself had to traverse different paths into the temple for the sake of tradition and security. Tidus reminisced. It was all he could bring himself to do, and he didn't even budge when the civilians were trying to get a gander at the spectacle that could only be his deprivation.

All he could recall on the walk of shame was the atmospheric lighting of the temple interior, and the frostbite from the abyss he felt on his bare skin when he entered the courtroom that he abhorred so much. It was then when he was made to wear a black robe, with the left side covering the right to symbolise the form of the undead.

' _I never thought I'd be the one standing on this platform,'_ he noted emptily, looking over at his three companions on the witness' stand. Not even seeing Yuna could cheer him up at this point. How could she when she looked just as depressed as he was?

' _You'll be fine,'_ Yuna mouthed to him, earning a nod and a wistful glance at the balconies.

The time had finally come. The three faction leaders emerged from the dividers and positioned themselves. Nooj looked just as victorious and prideful as the last time Tidus had saw him. Gippal looked distracted and was more concerned with the railing than anything else. Praetor Baralai, whom he had never seen before yet was certain that he had the most providence out of the three, studied him uneasily. Yet unlike the other two he held a calmer, more reasonable vibe. His gaze switched to and lingered on Yuna for a bit before he turned back to the crisis on their hands.

"Before we begin, may you please state your name and details?" Baralai requested, his light voice bouncing off the walls.

"My name's Tidus. I was Yuna's guardian during her pilgrimage." He felt outcast just by having to explain it all again. "After we defeated Sin I had… to go somewhere against my will. But now I'm back, and this has just been a huge misunderstanding."

"I see, I see." He was fervently jotting down notes. He turned to the three witnesses for confirmation, who nodded positively.

"This is all completely irrelevant, Baralai." Nooj's deep, scratchy voice chased away what little hope the room had. "Shuyin's lying. He's using them."

"Don't jump to conclusions, Nooj," he retaliated with a warning tone. Before Nooj could fight back the Praetor lifted a silencing finger. "The culprit's account is still an account. Um, Gippal? Gippal?"

"Oac, E caa oui drana huf. Syga cina ymm ahdnyhlac yna calinat," he mumbled with a hand covering the microdevice in his ear. He faced Baralai with a wry grin. "Sorry, B. I'm just making this quick and easy."

From the entrance Tidus came in from, the Al Bhed switched on the pyrefly darklight. His eyes shot open and he whipped his head around. His back and side views were covered in a corporeal plethora of colours, where white light was non-existent. With every movement of his arms he could see the masses of atoms struggling to fill the vacuum of space.

Yuna and Wakka gasped, floored by the new and terrifying sight. Lulu simply stood back and, for the first time in two years, prayed.

"Hm. Right… I see. This is, uh…" Gippal had looked down at the faxing device he had carried with him, which was printing out the complex images of Tidus' aura at a rapid pace. ' _What's with those discoloured spots? Are those normal?'_

He went through the divider once again and reappeared on Baralai's balcony, showing him the unordinary feedback. The two men discussed it in hushed, almost frantic frequencies, as everybody else was left to stand there awkwardly. Finally Baralai turned back to Tidus and, although he was trying to maintain his formal demeanour, his face and his twitchy fingers gave away his state of sheer puzzlement.

"O-okay, Tidus. You're not displaying obvious signs of the unsent. Obvious signs that we recognise, anyway." He added that last part as quietly as possible. "So let's go right ahead to the end-all."

"The Infinito! Now!" Nooj demanded of the Praetor, not being able to hold it in any more.

Baralai pressed a button on his panel which caused Tidus' platform to jolt and its railings to shoot upwards above his height. The Al Bhed came out of their hiding spot with the darklight dislocated from the machine, and shone it on the prisoner as he descended into the freezing, hazy depths of the pit.

The colourless, flesh-chilling mist got thicker and thicker as swarms of pyreflies began to envelop him. Soon all senses fell away, the only reminder that he was still in the living world being the distorted light constantly scanning him. He could hear every little function in his organs struggling to keep him alive in the hazards. His vision was smudged with blind spells.

The flooding pressure finally swallowed the last of his being and he held no comprehension of gravity or weight. All that remained was a throbbing pain in his front of his head and the echoes of his hyperventilating. He rubbed at his eyes with an almost rabid desperation, unable to keep his body upright, and stared out at the wispy remnants of the souls.

"Hello."

And that was when everything changed.

"Can you hear me?" An apparition emerged from a cluster of pyreflies, staring directly at Tidus. Its voice was gargling and devoid of any form of surprise. It giggled. "By that face I assume you can."

Meanwhile the three faction leaders were comparing the newly-printed images with the accuracy of hawks. Yuna was slumped over the railings, silent tears rolling down her face, watching for any trace of her lover's safety.

"But… there's no changes at all. None at all," Gippal repeated with more similar phrases. "Shuyin _was_ unsent, right? Dead people can't come back to life, right?"

"Both's for certain," Baralai confirmed.

"What's the meaning of this? What- You can't be saying someone like him isn't related to Shuyin at all, right?!" Nooj bellowed, raising his prosthetic claw to Gippal's oblivious face. "So much for innovative inventions! It doesn't even do what it's supposed to!"

"Let's be calm about this, you two." Baralai stepped in and separated them, being the mediator. He looked down to the witnesses who were staring up at them with unreadable expressions. "Let's bring Tidus back up and let him know. Everyone, we'll meet up in the foyer."

The trial was disclosed and everyone safely made it back outside. At long last Tidus silently came out after his 'experience'. His companions ran up to him as the leaders looked on, all except Baralai scowling.

"Tidus, brudda, you're innocent! I knew it! There was nothing to-" Wakka paused when he got a good look at his sickly, pale face. "Uh, what's up? You look like you saw a ghost or somethin'."

"I did."

Everyone fell into his same silence. Lulu placed a shaky hand on her chest. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Lots of them. They were talking to me. _I was talking to them."_

Gippal and Nooj stared at each other with bulging eyes. Baralai reached out his hand to the boy only for it to go nowhere.

"Why are there so many dead people down there?" Tidus pondered, his voice cracking ever so slightly under his airy tone. "They're all really sad. They want to go to the Farplane but nobody would come for them."

"We have to go," Wakka and Lulu blurted at the same time, tugging on both of his arms. Yuna stuttered and stammered and yet no conceivable words would form.

" _I'm_ gonna go. I need time to myself." Tidus struggled and pulled himself away from them, looking at every single piece of decor in the hall before finally settling on his lover. "Yuna… I think I'm gonna go to that place. It's not far from here, right?"

He put on a tiny strained smile - a plea for her to come and find him - before slowly backpedalling out of the temple with traumatised eyes watching every movement of Gippal's weapon. After what seemed like an eternity he had disappeared behind the walls, and was hit by glistening daylight as he sprinted as fast as he could out of the malevolent city.


	6. Esoterica

**Chapter V**

* * *

"I sincerely hope you'll forgive all of us for the disruption we've caused," Baralai spoke to break the droning, eerie silence that had fallen upon them. He bowed apologetically. "The temples' business are New Yevon's business, you see. I saw Tidus and just had to make sure."

"Oh, _ye-hah._ You can tell that to your buddies over there," Wakka spat as he leered at them, pointing a rude finger to Nooj in particular. "They might as well jus' dragged us over thorns for good measure."

"What do you mean?" Baralai whipped his head to and fro, feeling a burning rash creep up onto his face.

"They thought we were being possessed, kept us under high surveillance and they threatened us with weapons. And don't get me started on their soldiers," Lulu poured out sarcastically, feeling an itching urge to make embers fly. "You don't want to know what they did to Tidus. Oh, sorry - 'Shuyin.'"

"What?" The Praetor's voice was deadpan - disjointed. His expression was blank. He turned to the two leaders. His very next words were boiled in pure anger. "Nooj! Gippal! What were you thinking, treating them - _Yuna_ \- like that?! I thought I told you to be _tactful!"_

"I was," Nooj simply said. "I suppose we must have different interpretations."

"Tidus ec milgo Nooj tet hud ku ymuha..."

"Enough. I've had it with these miscommunications. I thought our speech in Luca would've at least changed something within you." Baralai's fury had subsided into a deeply-cutting hurt. He groaned and hung his head as he approached Yuna. "I suppose it'll take some time for your trust to recover."

Yuna's eyes were still frozen on the spot where Tidus used to be. "Indeed."

"I am so, so sorry."

"Perhaps you are. It wouldn't be the first time." She leaned her head back and took long, deep breaths, letting the distant breeze roam over her. "I'm going to go find him. Wakka, Lulu - we'll meet up on the woods' edge."

With that she dashed out of the temple, somehow hoping that she could sense his trail. Wakka and Lulu left at a much more sluggish pace, both of them giving the leaders an icy glare as they stormed down the hall and slammed the doors behind them.

"So," Gippal began, clouded in an unwelcome stream of resentment. This entire scene felt sorely familiar to him. "How's about Tidus talking with the dead and all? That's scary. Really scary."

"So scary in fact that the art was severed and banned thousands of years ago, never to be known to the living again," Baralai continued for him, sounding rather patronising yet pitying. "I don't think he knew he could use it before now. The poor man looked horrified."

"Think it has anything to do with the weird colours on his scans?"

"I can't say for sure. Those could be a pyrefly disease or magic-induced injuries. But even then their positionings on the charts were, well, weird. All over the place. Normally they'd be focussed on one area." Baralai paced back and forth, grunting sounds to accommodate the gears in his mind grinding heavily. "Gippal, leave them in my office. I'll have to look at them later."

"Aren't you looking too deeply into this?" Nooj tutted and rolled his eyes, rattling his cane. "Shuyin was brought back to life. Those colours were a side-effect of that."

"Don't. Jump. To conclusions."

"If you're so adamant why don't you go out and drag him back here?" He snorted. "Go ahead. Walk right up to him. Bonus points if you don't kill yourself."

"I will respect Yuna and Tidus' boundaries," he insisted, trembling all over. "I've hurt them enough as is."

"And it'll be your fault for believing him when the world falls apart." Nooj hobbled past him with a hiss edging on his tongue, his ponytail whipping Baralai's body. "It was your magic opening those portals. It was your fingers playing Vegnagun's song."

It was the Meyvn's turn to leave. He began to walk the path to the alternate exit, his machina leg spurting sparks partway. He tuned his earpiece and commanded his crew to ready his ship for takeoff. He turned back to the two leaders who were hurling pleads at him.

"The Youth League will capture Shuyin. He won't have the privilege of the Farplane this time. I'll die happy to his entombed screams."

He spewed every syllable with a frothing canal, ringing through the echo - piercing the ears of those who heard him. He snaked out of the temple.

Gippal reached out to Baralai's anguished being and began patting him on the back.

"What have I done?" he sobbed, his knuckles hardening to white against the concrete. "Why didn't I go to Besaid by myself?"

Gippal sighed in defeat and shook his head. He patted Baralai one more time and wandered off to his office, not daring to speak another word. He sorted the images and laid them on his desk, eyes loosely detailing them before shrugging and setting off once again. He had business elsewhere.

* * *

Tidus was deprived of all of his energy. He had nothing to eat, nowhere to sleep and no opportunity to give his legs the proper workout they craved every day. Coupled with the vivid image of crowds of ghosts desperate to speak with him - to get their voices heard - superimposed into his mind, he felt sick to his stomach.

Yet another of Bevelle's sins shoddily hidden away from the world.

It was hard to believe that he was no better than them just a couple of weeks ago. Trapped eternally in an empty prison where nobody could hear them, unaware of how much time has passed. Why would nobody go down there to send them? Were they really so traitorous as to not deserve the afterlife?

Even Macalania Woods was dying, coincidentally enough. The trees were barren and bending backwards to block the path. The naturally-growing crystals were crumbling and melting into the wilting grass. The forest's magical influence was fading away; the ambient melodies having vanished, the aerial roads cracking apart and the gemstones in the nests snuffed out - solid and dead.

Tidus gazed up at the arid bleaks of the environment with a longing nostalgia. The setting sun coated the forest in an amber veil, painting the trees' stark, black silhouettes, giving the woods a haunting kind of beauty. He watched particles of black as they shed from the branches and fluttered with the wind.

He made a direct left turn and climbed over the ensnares of bark that had fallen. At long last. The Sacred Well. The place that he had the most fond memories of. The spring was quickly drying up and the partitions of foliage had all withered away, but he didn't care. He sat down on the bank and undid his robe, letting the stiff material fall around him. He relished in the fresh, moist air for what seemed like a lifetime, letting it caress his bruises.

He was ripped from his daydreams when a high-pitched shrill shot through the peace. His eyes twinkled and he grinned. He responded with a finger whistle of his own and patiently waited for _her_ to find him.

The faint rustle of footsteps among the foliage allowed him a beacon to fix upon. He closed his eyes, concentrating with all his willpower, the horror of the last several days forced into the subconscious of his mind. Finally, he sensed the subtle breeze as dead leaves fluttered about amidst his person.

"You remembered," Yuna began meekly, sitting beside her companion. Two years ago, this very spot was where they confirmed their love for each other. ' _Everything changed here. I found out how special it is to love - to be loved. And little did I know then, my fate changed forever. Spira's fate changed. All because he loved me so…'_

"I see why you came here then." Tidus turned, their eyes meeting. "You can really begin to sort your thoughts out at this place. I guess, it's me that has a lot to sort out this time." He ended with a slight chuckle, the irony hitting full force.

"I know how you feel," she replied, placing a hand on his shoulder. "And, you know you don't have to face it alone." She studied his disrobed body intently, Tidus' welts and bruises shown plain for her to see for the first time.

"W-who did this to you?" she asked, anger ringing in her voice.

"Eh… it was nothing, really. Just some punk taking a cheap shot while I was shackled."

"Who?!" Yuna glared, narrowing her attention to a particularly nasty welt splayed over Tidus' chest.

"It was… Yaibal, I think? I dunno, it began with a Y for sure. The worst part wasn't him getting a cheap shot in, he just went on and on about what a pure soul you were, and how I was the worst type of evil for daring to corrupt you."

"Oh. Him. That's Yaibal..." Yuna confirmed through clenched teeth and a tightening fist.

"You've met him?"

"Yes. He was… eager to get me to join the Youth League." Yuna sighed. "I think he's an admirer."

"So he got under your skin too?"

"Yes!" Yuna exhaled, shifting her gaze as though the subject in question may have been listening. "I'm so sorry he did that to you!"

Tidus lowered his glance, placing his arm around Yuna's waist. "He's the least of my worries."

"Nooj…" Yuna swallowed.

"Yeah…" He shuddered as Yuna curled up against him, her warmth chasing away a chill he didn't realize he had developed.

He grunted a little in pain when she made contact with his split skin. She exclaimed in worriment.

"It's fine, it-it doesn't hurt _that_ bad! Honest. That Yaibal guy was a weak shot."

She gave out a little sigh, still holding onto his arm. "You shouldn't lie about things like this."

"That obvious, huh?"

"Tidus," she called out to him gently, shifting so that she was on her knees and slightly bent over him. She coalesced him to lean back on his elbows and then meditated strongly until her palms were emitting a soft, green light. "Please hold still."

Her hands played along his sturdy, golden skin, curing the white lines of dying flesh and healing his bruises. She started to apply more pressure when she tried to fix his more odious scars. Tidus blinked and embarrassedly cleared his throat, trying to fight down the less-than-reserved thoughts that were seeping into his mind. Yuna was going through the same thing and it was dampening her concentration.

' _Don't think that, Yuna. Don't. You have to mend him. You can do this late- I didn't just think that. Did I? Yevon Almighty, just- heal him you-!'_

Tidus closed his eyes, allowing himself to focus - nervously, upon the healing energy that Yuna imparted upon him. ' _This is all it is. She's just healing me, nothing more.'_ He replayed the phrase in his mind until the hot energy abated, followed by a sharp exhale as Yuna released her breath. His eyelids slipped open, showing himself reinvigorated, his wounds erased from his athletic frame. Still there however was her delicate hand, splayed across his chest.

' _Move, you fool! He's been through too much! What if… That doesn't matter! But now we can- STOP IT! I really need a glass of water right now!'_

' _Yuna?'_ He felt his heart skip a beat the moment he gazed upon her face. ' _Here? Now? Does she really want to? It's a special place- her smile- Mother of Yevon…'_

Tidus swallowed, attempting to compose himself with a deep breath. "Are you sure?"

' _That voice- those eyes-'_ Flashbacks played vividly of that night over two years ago when she needed, and received the confirmation and support she desperately sought in her darkest hour. ' _Yes-'_

"I'm sure. I think it'll… be our last chance before this place..." She bit her lower lip as she pressed herself against his frame, unable to resist him any longer. Yuna ended any further discussion with a deep, passionate kiss.

And for the final time the forest's music came back to life.

* * *

"It's, uh, gettin' kinda dark out." Wakka folded his arms, his eyes wandering to the magenta-blue horizon. With Lulu he was sitting on a corroded stump just outside the dense of the forest. "She did say we'd meet up on the edge, right?"

"That she did."

"So what takin' her so long? And Tidus for that matter?"

Clearly Lulu was more of a sharp listener than a run-off chatterbox, for she swore to have heard the faint sounds of - _something_ \- coming from the thicket. It sounded like laughter and pleasure - the latter making the reflexes in her eyebrow kick up a notch, and her lips warped into an amused pucker.

"I trust them. They'll be fine." Lulu waved off his concerns, trying to keep the _lovebirds_ as private as can possibly be. She was thankful that the layers of foundation caked on her face was hiding her secondhand embarrassment.

"Oh. That don't look good."

Wakka pointed to the channel for clarification. The ship with the Youth League crest had lifted anchor and was bobbing along, and he was fairly certain it was headed their way. They looked at each other with a comedic timing.

"Don't worry. We're guarding the only entrance here." Lulu smirked confidently, a ball of flames developing in her palm. "Apart from Nooj they're pushovers."

Meanwhile in the woods, the sun had sacrificed the rest of its power for a flare of gold and had vanished for the rest of the night. Tidus and Yuna were cocooned up in his discarded robe, bodies trembling under sweat and ecstasy. They held each other as tightly as they could, breathing spent intimacy into each other's tousled hair - their bare feet slipping into the crystalline springwater.

"T-that was, ah…" Yuna forgot how to speak. She was still dizzy from his essence.

"Yeah. I know." Tidus had fought countless fiends and had even taken Sin head-on, but not even his stamina could comprehend this new level of love. "White magic feels really good, but like this…"

"Hey," she squeaked, gently squeezing his neck. "I was… experimenting. And you liked it. So I kept going."

"Next time let's see what a little Haste does," he chuckled naughtily, ceasing to stroke her hair and letting the red, dormant energy soar over his two fingers.

She blushed and beamed, trying her hardest not to laugh at the suggestion and not succeeding.

"Yuna?"

"Yes, Sunshine?"

"Always, right?" He linked their fingers together - just like that fateful night.

She nodded with tears of joy in her eyes and pulled him in for another kiss. They took their time (attempting) to wash up in the water, whispering sweet nothings to each other whilst doing so before getting dressed. He stomped the unpristine robe into the dirt, whistling an innocent ditty before taking her hand and heading off to find the clearing.

Wakka and Lulu heard them arriving before they even turned the last corner. Wakka bumbled right into their path and waved at them frantically. Lulu strutted along behind him.

"Youth League ship! Two o'- I mean ten-! Whatever! We gotta get movin'!" Wakka yelled, his fists flying up and down for emphasis.

"Oh, great. Just what we needed," Tidus harrumphed. ' _After all this they still want more of my blood.'_

"Well c'mon then! Let's kick our feet into overdrive and move it south!"

"I don't think so, Wakka. After a while the speed on a ship gets pretty mean. I'd know that," he pondered, trying to think of another way out of this predicament. ' _I never want to see that Nooj guy again. He's nightmare fuel.'_

"I have an idea," Yuna started all of a sudden, holding up her arm to the earpiece she had forgotten she possessed. "There's that System Sphere back in the forest. I can call the Celsius and we can make an escape."

"Hey, just like that other airship we had, right?" Tidus clapped with a surge of realisation. "Good call!"

"It's the fastest airship Spira has ever seen," she enthused to the other two before they could even question her, leading them down the path. "Nooj's rooks won't even know where we went!"

"Wait a sec, issat the ship you rode in on the day both of ya came back to Besaid?"

"It is!"

"Ohh no, I ain't gettin' on that thing!" Wakka flailed his arms in a stand-offish fashion.

"Why?" Yuna frowned.

"That pilot is nuts, that's why!"

"Wakka, I thought you got over the Al Bhed!" Lulu scowled at her husband and began to tow him along like a misbehaving child.

'Ey, I don't know nothin about that pilot except he's going to get us all killed if we keep ridin' wit' im'.

"You know, he _did_ give me quite a scare!" Tidus added with a bemused chuckle. "Here I was just revived for a few minutes and all of a sudden I'm thinking I'm going to eat it on the front end of an airship!"

"I think that was my fault…" Yuna glanced down sheepishly. "Your whistle rang through and I told Brother to hit it double time back to Besaid- I was just so clumsy in wanting to get back!"

"And now you're happy, and that's all that matters." Lulu chimed in.

"Ya know, you _have_ been awfully chipper since we met back up, considerin' the situation and all." Wakka glared.

' _Busted!'_ The two lovebirds stared worriedly at each other, mouths agape, cheeks burning.

"It's amazing what a little bit of alone time can do to clear your head." Lulu smirked all-too-knowingly, patting Yuna on the shoulder. ' _Sister to sister though, I couldn't be happier for her.'_

' _Lulu, don't!_

"So even you need some alone time from Tidus?" Wakka continued, seemingly oblivious.

"I guess so." Lulu chuckled incredulously.

' _Whew!'_

"Hey, there it is!" Tidus pointed to the tangle of roots that had once served as their refuge from Bevelle's wrath.

They ran in and saw the System Sphere trapped under a couple of dead vines. They helped him pull it out. All of the healing liquid inside the sphere had leaked out but the machina base was still intact.

"I hope it still works," Yuna squirmed, inputting the radio frequency of the Celsius and cranking the handle. A thin beam of light shot up into the atmosphere and was followed by a keening pitch. They sighed in relief. "Now we gotta hope they're not too far away."

The barrel of a gun blasted through the shadows, the dooming noise carried further by the trees. They were startled to a halt, standing deathly still. Without a slither of sound they crept further into the crannies and sidled up against the dirt. From a gap in the roots Tidus and Yuna - huddled up together - saw a wisp of wavering smoke bleached against the darkness.

* * *

Business had been shamefully slow for the Gullwings as of late. Two of their three prominent breadwinners had dropped out; Yuna had found who she was looking for and had unofficially disbanded, and Paine had left straight after when she expressed her wishes to go solo from henceforth.

The rest of them tried so hard to recapture their former glory - their notoriety that they sat upon like royalty - but none of their attempts worked. Buddy had no fighting prowess, Rikku and Brother had been sulking for the better part of the fortnight and Shinra was more interested in his own projects - hogging the computer all day and night. They were being dominated by the Leblanc Syndicate in terms of sphere hunting and they decided to discontinue their fiend hunting operation after numerous close calls.

Tensions were circulating like a boiler ready to explode, and it showed in Cid's gritted teeth during his check-up on the crew. He warned them that if they didn't get their act together in three months he would repossess the airship and turn it into a public transport.

Not like even a miraculous turnaround would change his mind, they figured, as Cid had always passed off sphere hunting as a fad and was eager to get his family hooked into his money-making schemes. Faced with the inevitable day they would lose their wings it was no wonder they were flying all over the place, enjoying it while it lasted. Three months and they would be endlessly sieving through sand and rebuilding a base nobody wanted to live in.

"Wanna see my latest code?" Shinra asked, perched over the seat.

"Is it gonna help us win Lord Cid over?" Buddy growled uncaringly.

"No," he responded, looking over at Brother who was sprawled out and whinging on the floor. "It's an optimisation of the trap pods' alert intervals."

" _Crid ib_ , hant!"

"Could you repeat that in Spiran?" Shinra sassed his 'leader.' He snickered and turned back to the monitor, pleased with the response.

"We're getting a distress signal from the Macalania Woods." Buddy was hunched over the panel on his station. He looked over his shoulder. "How long you gonna mope over there? Someone's counting on us."

"Tneja ed ouincamv. Fryd ec dra buehd? E ys niehat!" Brother bemoaned, tumbling into a sitting position and sulking. The tormenting noise of Shinra typing away at his computer was making him rock back and forth.

"Well what do you know? A transmission." Shinra accepted the connection and immediately a female voice struggled through the white noise.

"Come in, Celsius! Is anybody there?"

Brother sprang to life.

" _Yuna! So mujamo Yuna!_ " he hollered hyperactively, flailing to his feet and scrambling to push Shinra aside. "What is the problem?!"

"Hello Brother. There's no time to explain. We need you to get here as soon as possible."

"Rikku! Kad ouin ycc tufh rana! Ouin luiceh ec lusehk ypuynt!" he shrieked at the doors, repeatedly slamming his hand down on the sound alarm button before leaping into the pilot's seat. " _Achtung!_ "

They rocketed off at mach speed, zipping through clouds and blinding birds and fiends with the intense headlights. In no time at all the river canals of the melting glacier came into view, which they zoomed right past and came to stop at the dying forest on its corners. The engine's roaring resembled enormous blowtorches constantly wailing, which got on the nerves of the two merchants settled within the snow.

"Blimey! What on the gods' green earth is that dreadful noise?" O'aka complained, storming out of his shop to shoot an icy glare at the eyesore in the sky.

Brother didn't have much of an understanding of velocity and safety measures, his only other piloting experience being to handle the Fahrenheit in crashing a wedding and in tight pursuit of Sin. So he overestimated the distance and nearly skeeved the taller trees in the woods and the Youth League ship itself in half. He made a very sharp U-turn, stirring up a tidal wave of foam, and approached the beacon of light. He descended as closely to the ground as he could.

"Teleport us up!" Yuna commanded through the earpiece as they all emerged from the roots. She took Tidus and Wakka's hands. "Hold on, everybody!"

Lulu managed to grab Wakka's hand just in time before they dissipated into a jumbled vortex of lights and code. Brother's reckless driving had sent Nooj and his men plowing through the mud and into some nettles.

"Are you okay, Meyvn?!"

He rasped and propped himself up with his two arms. His prosthetic leg was jammed with slush.

Yuna and her companions streamed through the aether before being placed in the corridor behind the bridge. Her chest was pounding. Tidus was confused. Wakka and Lulu were suffering from motion sickness.

"That was _way_ too close," Tidus exclaimed, holding his arm to his forehead and feeling a fever coming on. "Oh man, I feel a little woozy."

"Do you need to rest?" Yuna held him by the arm and gazed up at him with a worried brow.

"Thanks for lookin' out for _us!"_ Wakka criticised her. Lulu was in no mood to follow up.

"Can it…" Lulu groaned, grimacing as she clutched her stomach.

"Tidus, I'll take you to the cabin so you can lie down," she assured him, leading him towards the elevator. "Our- their crew also knows about, you know, your lookalike. It's best if I explain you to them."

They took the ride to the cabin. They paused just as they entered. Tidus was looking all around with intrigue - the dartboard, the empty bar and the broken glass on the floor in particular - when he felt more nauseous ripples in his head.

"Must've been all that magic, huh?"

Yuna's cheeks flushed and she turned away. "The beds are upstairs. Hopefully we can get home tonight."

She was about to head off when he gathered her up by the waist, rubbed her nose with his and kissed her cheek. He then took a few steps into the room and waved at her. After a stupefied moment she waved back with a heart-melting smile and sauntered off with her two hands crossed behind her back.

He didn't even realise where he went at first when he was standing over one of the beds, ready to collapse onto it. After going through an ordeal that would've turned a normal person to hatred and vengeance, even something as simple as a plush pillow and a mattress felt heavenly. He became hypnotised by the fan and he felt like he would become one with the material below him.

A whimper and a whine sounded from his right. He lazily lolled his head over to its direction. An Al Bhed girl wearing a headscarf and barely anything else was splattered against the far table. He was concerned until she made it clear that she was alive.

"I hate him. I hate him! Why does he have to drive? I'm telling Vydran..."

He wanted to help, but fatigue ultimately overrode that.


	7. Preparement

**Chapter VI**

* * *

Coming back home was an extraordinary feeling.

The mass of the Celsius struck the slumbering island and dropped down ungracefully on the shores. Everybody was called down to the engine room so that they could file out through the hull. Tidus stuck to the side that Yuna was on and kept looking over to the crew.

Fortunately Yuna's tactics worked as Buddy and Brother welcomed him openly; the latter had even remembered who he was - specifically as a fighter on the Fahrenheit and his blitzball teammate. Of course, during their reconciliation he had to bring up the touchy subject regarding Tidus' sudden disappearance two years ago.

"It wasn't a big deal. I had to go to some 'nowhere-places' for reasons. No spheres or treasure or anything."

He held back a sigh when Brother looked dissatisfied. It wasn't really lying when he himself had no idea where he went. But his inability to answer the tantalising question was gnawing its way into his conscience like a roach.

The longer he dwelled on it the more irritated he got. He wished he could solve the mystery, but he had to keep reminding himself that the fayth were gone - passed on to the otherworld. There was no possible way he could reach out to them and come back with his mind still intact.

Especially now that he knew about his new 'power.'

He was in for a surprise when the stranger members of the Celsius went out for fresh air. Shinra came over for a brief introduction before waddling off towards a trap pod in the shallows, and he soon was feeling rather queasy in the presence of the two Hypello mates. He looked straight up at the windows on the airship's rear; he could just about make out the girl through the precipitation and the glossy lights.

' _She looks familiar, but I can't…'_ He squinted his eyes and plunged deep into his memory banks. Something clicked. His insides caught on fire for a split second and his mouth dropped slightly. ' _No way. Is that Rikku?!'_

"Guys, did you know Rikku's in there?" His face darted over to the congregation, not realising that he had interrupted a conversation. Naturally he scratched his head.

"Well I'll be," Wakka droned as he followed Tidus' finger to the windows. "She ain't for comin' down, is she? Wonder why that is."

"I too wonder how that could possibly be. It's not like we all took off and left her hanging," Lulu said in a jaded tone, turning her back and striding off to dry land.

"I- ah, heh. Don't worry 'bout it! Lu's kinda… See ya tomorrow!" Wakka stammered uncomfortably to the group, walking backwards to catch his wife and severely lowering his voice. "I think you need some shuteye and a _long_ rest, ya?"

"Sure."

"C'mon," he urged her, attempting to resolve the tension he created. "Just- relax, okay? Let's go see our kid."

Wakka shot a thumbs up behind his back as they started up the hill. Tidus and Yuna gazed at each other uneasily, both of them turning to watch the blur in the windows. Brother slowly came up behind them and cleared his throat.

"Rikku has not been the same," he said with an unusual empathy. "Won't even leave her room."

"Having your friends suddenly leave your life can do that." Buddy held his arms behind his head, deep in thought.

Tidus could see the heartbreak flashing through Yuna's eyes before she hung her head with guilt. Instinctively he rubbed her back to comfort her. It was then he could feel a pair of looming sensations on his skin - coming from Brother's direction. He looked his way only to find that he was busying himself with his quirks.

"Ah, she will get over it. She hurts easily. She is being what we call a cyht tisso." Brother stomped a stray sand hill into oblivion for demonstration.

"I hope she gets better," Yuna mumbled, feeling a pang in her chest.

"Yuna does not have to feel sad!" he insisted, charging over to her with his arms sticking out. Tidus made sure that he was just in front of her at all times. "We will stay here tonight! Maybe Rikku will feel better by then."

Tidus heard squeaking, sloshing footsteps headed their way and they turned to the source. Shinra's entire body save for his legs was obscured by a box. He handed it to Yuna who almost fell backwards from the weight.

"You forgot all your stuff from the last time." He breathed heavily through the holes in his mask. "Take care of them."

"Thank you," she managed through her struggling, only to feel Shinra wrapping himself around one of her legs. She slowly gave the box to Tidus and then crouched down to return the hug.

The crew bid their farewells and retreated into the Celsius, Brother constantly checking behind him. Tidus and Yuna started the voyage back to their house. After being constrained within his timeless carcass of a prison cell, inhaling nothing but the gas that made his body feel like a curse, the sights and smells of their tropical paradise breathed new life into him.

At long last they stepped through their door.

It was quiet apart from the birds hooting in the trees, and it remained that way for quite some time. Tidus set the box down and lit up the candles, which chased away the stagnant chill, and guided Yuna to their bed. He sat down beside her when her lips remained silent.

"I'll stick on something for us," he said with a small smile. He eased her onto her pillow. "No more worries, okay?"

For dinner he decided to make cooked chicken lathered in caramelised gravy - a favourite recipe of his since childhood. He prepared the bowls and listened for the bubbling of the pots. The sweet aroma of the gravy combined wonderfully with the homely scent of the candles, and he went to check in on Yuna once again.

Apart from the quilt pulled up and around her she still hadn't moved. He slowly started towards her, only to feel her hand clasp and pull him in by his arm, and to feel her body snuggled into his side as he angled into the mattress.

"I kept having nightmares on that ship," she confessed quite boldly, shuddering with every little reminder that he was there - holding onto her. "I heard your screams, and then- I went outside and then… you were on Gippal's ship, and I saw them toss you… Every night I had them. And I couldn't check to see if it- it really happened."

She tried to hold herself together, but a lone tear escaped from her eye and rolled down her cheek. He leaned in, wiped it away and held her head to his chest. Her walls broke down in his safety. She poured out all of her emotions onto him: her melancholy, her trauma, her anger - she apologised for hitting him before the tears finally came. He just held on throughout all of it, shedding some tears of his own before they both ran dry. All that was left was a slight air of passion - for being there for each other.

* * *

Sleep came all too easily for Tidus despite everything that played fresh in his head, from the dreadful lows in Bevelle, to the blissful highs of Macalania, and much in between.

' _I wonder how in the world he does it.'_ She pondered to herself. She then shifted her focus to the to the box that Shinra had provided her the evening before. Yuna opened it, studying the brightly colored spheres, accessories and tablets.

' _Tidus needs to be tied into these Garment Grids. This isn't over yet.'_

"Good morning!" Yuna turned to watch Tidus emerge from their bedroom, stifling a yawn. "Whatcha up to?"

"Oh! Good morning! I… uh, well I'm trying to piece this Garment Grid back together. I think it got tossed around a bit in storage."

"Oh? That's lame. So, what does it do?"

"It's what Rikku, Paine, and I used to harness the power that's tapped into some of these spheres you see in here. With it, we can tap into a wide array of abilities pretty quickly! We call them dresspheres!"

"Really? That sounds really cool! How'd you forget them though?" Tidus grinned.

Yuna feigned offense, slamming her open palms against the floor. "Do you really think I was thinking straight when I jumped off the Celsius?"

"From that height, I know you weren't!" Tidus teased, turning tail.

"What?" Yuna gasped, a mix of shock and embarrassment on her face. "You take that back!"

"Make me!"

Yuna scrambled to her feet, chasing him around their humble abode. Tidus finally relented with a hearty laugh, allowing Yuna to pounce on him with the full force of her momentum.

"Take it back!" she demanded.

"No!"

Yuna couldn't help but begin to giggle herself, squeezing Tidus in the tightest hug she could manage. ' _It's infectious, that laugh…'_

"Thank you, Sunshine. I needed that." Yuna stood on her toes, whispering in his ear.

"You're welcome. I think we both needed it."

Just then, outside the window they were standing in front of, a plume of greying ginger hair swept by. The two of them could feel their faces heating up.

"Have you two gone crazy in there with no food in ya, or what?" Wakka's chubby face appeared from the side.

"We could eat. If you left us alone," Tidus grumbled, turning Yuna and himself away from the nosey man.

"Well, go an' eat, then! Don't let me put ya off." He whistled haphazardly. "Just remindin' you that there's the bonfire if you aren't feelin' the effort."

They could hear him shuffle off… and trip right into some ferns. His distant cursing made them laugh nervously. They calmed down and turned to face each other, Tidus yanking down the blinds.

"Let's take some time to ourselves today, all right?" he whispered to her, waltzing by to pick out what to make for breakfast. "I'd like to get to know those dresspheres."

"Good, because I think you should get acquainted with them, and soon." Yuna swallowed, her demeanor turning more solemn.

"How about salmon and eggs?"

"Tidus, I'm being serious!"

"I know, Yuna. But we aren't going to be too serious, all right? Today is going to be a good day!"

"You're right," Yuna sighed, looking up at Tidus. "Salmon? For breakfast?"

"Of course! You can prepare pretty much anything for breakfast if you have the know-how. Heck, even if you don't, what does it matter anyways?"

"You know I can cook too…"

"Come on in here then! We're in this together, so I want to see what you can do!"

"Here we are, together, in our very own home, cooking each other our meals." Yuna mused, holding her head in her hands as she watched the birds fly past the window. "Is this a dream?"

"A dream come true!" Tidus smirked.

"Hey, are you trying to be funny again?"

"Maybe… why?"

"Because it's working," Yuna snickered. "But really, I mean, I just can't believe it. We're here - together. I didn't even know you could cook, Tidus."

"Ha. Well, I had to teach myself." He chuckled and nodded directionlessly, letting the silence linger for a moment. "So anyway, how about we go over those 'Garland Grid' things today?"

They finished eating and headed outside with the box. As he promised them some privacy, he led them to the clearing with the hibiscus trees he had discovered the week before. There was a small waterfall trickling from a grassy cliffside, with a river running underneath a steep moat and some tall grass sprouting from the corners. It was an ideal training course - perfect for getting them back in shape.

Yuna shuffled around the subsections of the box, pulling out two tablets and a couple of dresspheres.

"This," She turned around to Tidus. "is a Garment Grid. Shinra invented them. I think this one will suit you nicely."

He examined the tablet. There were empty slots and glowing beads arranged in the shape of a star. 'Ray of Hope' was engraved on the bottom in Spiran script. He looked back to Yuna who had inserted two dresspheres into her Grid.

"There's two types of dressphere. There's custom-made, like my Gunner outfit." She pressed it and she disappeared into some colourful swirls of light, somersaulted out with a new look and brandished her pistols at a rock. "They'll always put you in the same outfit it's assigned to - regardless of size or gender. Remember that."

She said that last portion with a cheeky smirk. Tidus gave a single, stern nod, mentally carving the memo into his head. He took curious notice to the Zanarkand Abes emblem stitched onto her corset.

"Hey, I just remembered something! Hold on a second-" She rummaged through the dresspheres again, fishing one out.

It was coloured a velvet-red and had a plaster of a sword on the top. She opened it and dissected it to pick out a specific code, and then let it apparate in her hand. It was the Brotherhood. Tidus' mouth fell open in shock, with Yuna sheepishly twirling it around.

"I found myself using this Warrior one a lot as well," she whispered feebly. When he didn't respond she swallowed a lump and held it out to him. "You can have it back now."

Instead, Tidus pushed the blade back into her hand with a glimmering smile. Her heart skipped a beat.

"No. Keep it. It's your sword now."

Before Yuna could protest the eye on the hilt had shone for a second, and the blade began to glow even brighter as yet another bestowment was added to its legacy. She finally seized the handle and held it aloft; small energy particles which looked like bubbles were emitting from the liquid crystal. Tidus held a fist to his hip, pride coursing through him.

"You take good care of it."

He grinned, walking past a starstruck Yuna to sift through the box himself. One dressphere caught his attention and he lifted it out. It was coloured a steel-blue with a plaster of a lightning bolt on it, with the faint outlines of pyreflies dancing inside of it.

"That's a soul dressphere. Soulsphere, if you may," Yuna said enthusiastically. "The pyreflies create a physical armor, warping to suit its user. So anybody can use it. That's what Shinra told me, anyway. That one's the Psychic."

"Can I try it?"

"There's nothing stopping you." But her smile dropped a little. "I never really used it, anyway. It's kind of… strange."

Now his interest had piqued. He inserted it into a slot and activated it, yelping when he could feel the swirls stripping him of his clothes and cloaking him with the pyreflies. A fresh wave of adrenaline washed over him and parts of his body were brimming with energy. He came back to the real world and could hear Yuna gasp. The change finally registered within him.

' _W-whoa! Are these Zanarkandian?_ '

He twisted his head to get a good look at his new garbs. He was wearing a navy-blue jacket and cape with yellow trimming, as well as a triple-jointed helmet with a curved vertical visor. He then noticed that his hands were shielded with plasmatic orbs of magic. And then he noticed that he was displaced in the air.

' _Did I get taller, or…?'_ He looked down. " _ **Holy sh-!**_ "

The lack of concentration made him lose control. He plummeted ten feet diagonally and skidded stomach-flat across the ground. A wheeze of agony was squeezed from his lungs and he weakly crawled to his knees. Yuna made like the wind over to his side.

She quickly scanned his body; bloodied cuts lodged with soil were spread across his open chest and legs. Thankfully the visor and chin guard had protected his face. She tapped into her white magic and began to fix him as quickly as possible. He let out an unstable yet grateful breath when she was finished.

' _Thank the fayth for my White Tome,_ ' she chanted over and over in her head, every repeat calming her down a notch.

"You know, I like the looks of this." Tidus sat up and flicked his wrist to zap the rocks, watching the bolts bounce in-between them. He flapped his legs about to maintain his balance. "This flying business is kinda terrifying, though!"

Yuna hummed, trying to hatch a solution. "We could ask Shinra to modify it, though I don't know how he'd be able to change a soulsphere. Hey, why don't you try and get used to it? I still have a lot to teach you."

The next few hours were spent under flurries of spells and noises, as Yuna taught Tidus everything there was to know about the special effects of the Garment Grids. After testing the rest of the soulspheres he found that he was the most comfortable with the Psychic after all, and was even beginning to get addicted to the feeling of flying through the air once he got hold of the techniques.

They ended their training by washing up in the stream and resting in the shade of one of the hibiscus trees. Yuna inhaled the humid air - sweetened by the pollen of the flowers around them, before almost falling asleep to the lofting breeze and the firmness of Tidus' bare torso. He was about to do the same before a horrid, burning stench wormed into his nostrils. Off in the distance was a black smoke cloud, rising from the town.

"That bonfire's been going for ages," he murmured, bending his head into her hair to block out the rancid smell.

"The folks must be really hungry today. Considering Wakka's been gone."

"But isn't that dangerous?" he inquired. "That meaty smell - it could attract fiends."

"Tidus," She cupped his cheek with her hand, the drowsiness clouding her train of thought. "there's no more fiends here, remem-"

A blaring, eardrum-shattering horn exploded from the town's centre and startled the wildlife further into the bushes. Yuna's eyes shot open and she lurched forward, Tidus clawing at the empty space with his fingernails in a panic.

The fiend alarm.


	8. Dragon Slayers

**Chapter VII**

* * *

"We got to help, Tidus!" Yuna exclaimed breathlessly, as the pair ran toward the danger now plain to see in the town square. Yuna squinted her eyes, trying to identify the offending creature. When it hit her, her heart sank.

' _No! This guy is bad business! Tidus needs more time!_ '

The fortunate townsfolk had for the most part dispersed when they arrived on scene. The pair managed to keep their distance from the thrashing behemoth just long enough to formulate the most haphazard of schemes.

"We need a plan, Tidus! This is a Greater Drake!"

"No time!" Tidus gritted as he narrowly dodged the drake's flailing tail. "How about we protect our home?"

Yuna unholstered her Super Bees, frantically yet expertly loading the pistols with heavy-hitting ammunition. Tidus stabilized himself, collecting orbs of plasma in both hands. He manipulated his arms, transmitting his attack through the aether, showing plain as the Greater Drake flinched, grimacing in anger as someone dared to make a dent into his armor. Yuna unloaded both clips into the beast, muttering under her breath as the drake failed to take notice. Tidus continued his barrage of psychic attacks.

"It's no good!" Tidus cursed. _I'm not hitting him hard enough!_

Yuna reloaded both clips, then flipped a switch on both her pistols, switching over to an automatic "Trigger Happy" mode. Once more, she unleashed both barrels, hoping to stun the creature into an opening. Once more, the drake took no heed of the gunslinger.

"We need another way!" Tidus shouted, feeling what little momentum they had gained starting to slip away.

Her Super Bees were now jammed, overheated from the barrage they had unleashed. She tossed them aside, and unsheathed Brotherhood. _I'm taking a huge gamble not spherechanging into better armor, but we don't have time!_

Yuna charged headlong at the snarling beast, striking true into the fiend's chest. The drake reared back in anger, visibly shaken from the critical blow. But before Yuna had the chance to retreat, the drake roared back, sending Yuna crashing into a nearby tree.

"YUNA!" Tidus screamed. ' _Oh no, no-no-no-no-NO!'_

He never saw the drake's tail.

Tidus crashed to earth, rolling in a crumpled heap not far from where Yuna lay. "Damn it…"

"I...I'm okay…" Yuna groaned, somehow finding the strength to stagger to her feet. Her voice indicated that she was anything but as she collected Brotherhood.

"Yuna…?" Tidus arose next, the high of seeing his lover with life still in her spurring him forward.

"We need...something else, and fast!" The drake seemed ready to charge. Time was running out.

' _Something else… what can I do? Time… fast… THAT'S IT!'_

"Hastega!" Tidus thundered, and with all the strength he could muster, he waved his arm, aiming the encompassing red energy at Yuna.

For the duo, time continued to flow as normal, yet everything around them slowed to a crawl. Pure adrenaline took over as they realized their chance was now. Each charged past the pain and scars inflicted upon their bodies. Yuna hacked away at tender points on the monster before it had the chance to defend, while Tidus transmitted psychic assaults, hoping the sheer volume would wear it down.

"We're doing it! We're turning the tide!" Tidus shouted, trying to motivate Yuna as well as himself to not let up.

Inexplicably, Yuna slowed down to the same crawl as the rest of their surroundings, just as she lunged in for the kill. His heart sank as he watched, all too slowly, the drake strafe aside and into perfect position to make Yuna pay. His tail swung around, about to connect.

' _She can't survive another one…'_

 _ **BOOM!**_

A vicious hail of ice pierced the Greater Drake, exploding into a plume of pyreflies. Bewildered, the pair looked around, spotting Lulu as she huffed against a palm tree.

"Sorry I took so long…"

"Lulu!" they both yelled in unison, rushing over to her. "Where's-"

"Everybody else is taking refuge in the temple," she finished, predicting the question. "What we should be concerned about are that fiend's footprints."

She pointed at the gigantic, shapely pits near the trampled bonfire and trailed them backwards. Arrows, javelins and fractured clubs littered the foot of the hill.

"It didn't come out of nowhere. There must be a nest somewhere," she theorised, eyes as intense as burning brimstone. "We have to take it out. For all we know, that one there could have been a curious child."

They trudged up the slope, every step of theirs slamming into the grit. It was deathly silent save for the crackling of Lulu's cautious fire. Tidus could feel blisters forming on his gyrating hands. Yuna helped him to apply some Ether onto his gloves, and he could feel the liquid sizzling away and into his skin with a scorching sensation.

"Don't push yourself," Lulu said to him, her eyes lingering on his armor a little longer before snapping back to the sky.

After what felt like much too long, they finally reached flat ground and sprinted to the overlook, scanning the dirt for any more imprints. They surveyed the jungle with as much tact as they could muster. No sounds. Not even those of the gulls. Lulu narrowed her eyes, shifting her taut fingers to ready a smoke flair.

Something clicked. She instantly flung her hand and the flair darted into the vegetation. A low mewl and the scurrying of claws were heard, and the colourful smoke began to flicker and waver above the leaves.

"It's been marked. Follow it," she commanded them curtly, sliding down the path before they could even blink.

On and on and on - desperately following that swirl of smoke. Incomprehensible messes of its footprints, the destruction it left behind, the faint rumbling that sent quakes burrowing through the ground - they were getting closer. Twisting down and down the linear road, getting closer to the open when suddenly-

"Stop!" Lulu stuck her arm out, stopping the eager fighters dead in their tracks. "Observe."

The smoke had disappeared. The fresh prints had dived straight into the weeds, and the sounds were ringing clear. Yuna and Lulu crouched down low and slipped into the dense, with Tidus sidling behind with his feet just above the ground. After overcoming the many steep falls and plant traps they arrived at a rock face resembling a banded shell. Chunks of it were blown apart, with scales and blue blood caught on the stalagmites.

"Wait a second." Yuna bent over the crag to notice a familiar path. "This is the same place as that cave."

"A cave?"

A roar from deep within the hole ensured that Tidus wouldn't be getting an answer right away. He hovered above the easily-missable crevice to approach the opening, bracing his teeth to keep his weight under control.

There was an ominous echo and a hair-raising draft from the depths, but a flash of lightning lit up the darkness, and it was then he noticed a spiral of jutting platforms. The light left a photographic imprint in his memory. He released a tense breath and turned to the two women; Yuna had helped them bridge the crevice.

' _It all comes down to this, huh?_ ' He tightened his knuckles. He didn't know how much more his legs could take. "Lulu, I'm gonna need a light source and some of those flairs."

This, coupled with his staunch position in front of the hole, caused her eyebrows to ridge. "You cannot be serious."

"I know it's kinda risky." Really risky in fact - with his lack of experience. "But it's way better than a leap of faith."

Lulu dusted backwards so that she could bluster at him, but Yuna took a brave step towards her, confidence brimming from her face. Tidus' eyes whipped back to the pit when he heard more monstrous cries - this time sounding more anguished.

"Tidus has been through worse. He's chosen to go through worse," Yuna challenged her with a powerful glare, her octave lowering every few words. "It's different this time. All of Besaid's in danger."

"But isn't there another way in? You've been through this cave before."

"But we'll lose track of that fiend!" she reminded her, astonishment awash in her voice. "Our home is open for attack right now, so if we lose it-"

She halted when Lulu held up a finger, so she was inwardly preparing to retaliate. But no words came. She retracted her finger and let the awkwardness seep in. Lulu looked over her shoulder, finding that the shell-like rock was funneling underground, and snuffed with resignation.

"You're not wrong there, Yuna," she admitted with a small smile. She strode over to Tidus who had been tentatively listening in on them, and handed him the materials. She edged on the crevice. "Care to help me over again?"

"You're leaving?" he questioned her.

"I have a town to protect," she quipped. "I trust you two will overcome what's down there."

They both gave her mock salutes once she was steadily over, and she disappeared into the thicket with a determined take-off. The sight imparted a rush of adrenaline on both of them; Yuna lunged up adjacent to Tidus and gave him the forward signal. Their first mission was commencing.

He entered the hole and kicked off into the air. The amber flame bounced sporadically off of the chipped rims of the shell. To conserve as much mana as possible he had to levitate and let gravity run its course; one foolish reflex could spell his fatality-

' _I can't think like that!_ ' he growled, attempting to neutralise every pump in his brain - every convulsion in his appendages. ' _All right, Tidus. Just get that first landing and it's all smooth sailing. Slowly… slowly...'_

The feeling of his feet hitting the granite was satisfying. He set up one of the flairs and looked up at the sun's white gleam. He could feel his blood turning cold and going south.

' _That's high._ _ **Way**_ _too high._ ' His internal struggling must have made the fall seem shorter than it actually was. There was no way Yuna would be able to jump down without breaking all of her bones. ' _Unless…_ '

He jumped into the air again and slowly swam up to the surface, going as straight as possible, focussing on nothing but the blinding smudge of white and the fresh air rolling in. He reemerged from the darkness and came face-to-face with Yuna, who was sitting on the grass.

"What is it?" she asked, trying to get to her feet. Instead Tidus had gotten to her first, tentatively gathering her up by the waist with one arm - much to her confusion.

"It's too big of a drop. I'm gonna need to carry you," he explained, stuffing the flairs into his belt pouch and handing the lantern to her before fully embracing her. "Hold onto the light, okay?"

She nodded distractedly at his smile, taking deep breaths to even out her heartbeat and stepping onto his boot. She was so focussed on calming down that she wasn't even aware of how she looked, or how he had leaned in to her ear.

"You trust me, right?"

"O-of course, I-" She looked into the hole and gulped, burying herself and one of her arms into his neck. "Sorry, I'm just… a little afraid of heights."

He trailed one of his hands up to rub a spot on her back, offering as much empathy as he can before they dove into the hole. The added weight proved to be a great hassle as the middle ground of his control was even more difficult to maintain, but he persevered, constantly checking below him to provide an accurate landing. His arms tight enough so that she couldn't slip away, nor too tight so that the plasma wouldn't awaken.

His amateurisms ended up misaligning their descent and they began to angle slightly. He checked Yuna again to see how she was faring, only to find that she was staring up at him - into his eyes. The lantern lit up their faces. He could feel something within him spark - memories reawakening - but he couldn't afford to dwell on it. Only when the flair's smoke danced between them did he allow himself to relax.

Tidus gently released Yuna and turned away to wipe the sweat from his brow, and also to tend to a throbbing migraine. She poured some more Ether onto a pad and held it to his head. He could feel the unbearable heat being sapped away, if only for a little while. He gave her an earnest smile.

"Right. Let's keep moving!" he cheered with a fierce fist, which couldn't help but rub off on her.

The platforms from then on were all bunched together, so they didn't provide much of a challenge - hovering or not. They hit the mossy bottom, which was littered with crackles of blue static. Traces of flair smoke were wavering in from a shattered opening in the shell.

Even though Yuna had scouted out the cave in search of a sphere, this route was unfamiliar to her. Strips of rusted copper were built into the walls, seawater was leaking in from the dips, and there were so many confusing crossroads and junctions that it felt like they were going in circles at times. All they could rely on was the faint wisps of smoke and the distant cries of the fiends.

Which got closer and closer, until-

"Spine Drakes, Tidus! Watch your step!" Yuna yanked out her pistols from her holsters.

She sank full round after full round into their ambushers, both of them turning tail out of the fiends' range until they dropped dead. Blue blood pooled around their corpses until their pyreflies made them crumble to dust. They continued to float around aimlessly.

"Man," he huffed, clutching at his chest. "What's the deal with all these drakes? You'd think they'd mind their own business!"

"I don't really know at all," she muttered, stretching her lit hand down the winding tunnel. "Maybe they ran out of food. This place isn't exactly supple."

They pushed on, though Tidus eventually grew suspicious of the haunting, ethereal chimes that should have ceased a while ago. He turned around to see that the fiends' pyreflies were following him. Specifically they were drawn to the energy cocooning his hands.

"Hey there, little guys," he hooted, twirling his fingers around as he was entranced by their patterns. ' _They sure are nicer when you've bested them._ '

He was dragged out of his trance when they stepped into another clearing. Algae-polluted rivers were running underneath stone bridges, and parts of ancient machines were dangling detrimentally from open cliff faces. There were many conjoining openings on the far side, just wide enough for a human to squeeze through. But above all there was this unnatural twine of a sound constantly festering in his ears - resembling a distorted mechanical drill and a faulty antenna pickup.

That was when he noticed that his plasma was fluctuating and he could no longer stay in the air. At the same time a Bolt Drake sprayed with flair smoke came careening down from a hidden nest, crying melancholically and riling up its claws - ready to strike.

It stopped charging as soon as it did, narrowly avoiding getting impaled on Yuna's Brotherhood. Man and monster continued to stand off and spar, with Yuna's confident demeanour eventually devolving into snarls. Tidus made it his priority to sneak up on the drake while it was distracted, but a magnetic force was repelling him and his palms.

He was in a stupor until he got a good look at its frizzled fur. The warped sound attacked once again, and that was when the drake's whole body was pierced by malicious sparks. That was when Yuna went in for the kill.

Brotherhood's droplets glistened before the light.

"No! _Yuna_ , _don't!_ _ **STOP**_ _!"_

He couldn't bear to look. He had been repelled far enough to the point where his attempts to save her were hopeless.

' _Stop…_ '

Time stopped.

...So he still had a few seconds left.

All was silent save for his desperate footsteps - caught up in passion and righteousness - so the collision of his body against hers - throwing him and her frozen body to the ground, and for the blade to be hurled not more than ten feet from where they lay - all in time for the anomaly to be mended…

it invoked something within him.

First the clang of the blade on the solid rocks, then the gentle cascading of the water, only to be choked out by the shattering of the lantern and the poisoned ambience of the machinated noise. The drake remained unchanged. Tidus rolled around just in time to see it lunge at him. He stuck out his boot and, with his remaining strength, propelled it into the stream. A flash and a sizzle, followed by more ethereal chimes.

"Tidus?" Yuna sat up after him, her brain unable to fill in the missing links. "What- I don't- What just happened?"

"You were about to end up like that fiend." His voice was empty - devoid of emotion. "I had to save you."

"Tidus," she repeated, his tone chilling her to the core. She crawled around to confront him. "What's wro-"

The colours in his face ranged from beet-red to beige. Sweat was visibly dripping from his jaw. His quick, rapid, silent breaths were visible in the cold. His limbs had gone limp and the plasma was leaking onto the rocks. The pyreflies were now very much attracted to his body.

"Wow," he wheezed, trying so hard to keep up a smile. "Stopping time takes a lot outta you, huh?"

She gasped when he collapsed into her side, just barely catching him. She held on tightly to him to balance his unusually heavy weight. He belted laughter. Pained laughter. Thin, colourless tears were rolling down his face without a care.

"Tidus. Tidus-Tidus, it's all right- I'm here. Hush…" she cooed to him, bending her head to embrace him in his shell of mysterious pyreflies. She scooted them over to the entrance, pulled out her last batches of Ether and began to treat him slowly. "You'll be okay. You're okay."

The touch of reality soothed his mind. All he could do was murmur apologies until he drifted into quietude. His skin went back to its normal golden hue and the traumatised creases from his features disappeared. His eyes fluttered shut. They kept that way for a while. Yuna's gut churned in worriment.

"Thank you," he whispered, the droning noise from the far side falling from his senses. His fluid hand looped around her shoulders and pulled her in.

Tidus' eyes opened once again - a deep, tranquil blue unlike only a few minutes ago - to adjust to what little light the cave held. Yuna's breath hitched, captivated by their volume. The concept of the passage of time, or even the life of anything other than themselves, were completely lost on both of them.

* * *

"Perhaps I should lead for a bit. You've had it rough." Yuna offered her hand.

"Yeah…" Tidus clasped his hand with hers, hoisting himself upright. "Just...please. Be careful."

"I will." Yuna swallowed, the tone of Tidus' words boring straight through her soul.

Yuna took point, following the dark, narrow path down into a deep, damp pit. Tidus followed close behind, trying to fight the urge to jump in front of her. Once more the mechanical, soulless drone rang through, growing louder with each step forward.

"What could it be?" Yuna pondered aloud.

"Nothing good." Tidus swallowed, placing a cautionary hand on Yuna's shoulder. The disobedient energy from his fingers pricked her skin.

"Maybe it's what's causing all our problems lately?"

"We have to consider that possibility." Tidus replied, following Yuna into a musty chamber. Bells from his memory rang clear. ' _Wait… this can't be…'_

Sinking into the mattress of moss was a small tower not at all unique from the ones that used to cover his metropolis. Most of the paint had been scraped off, the lights malfunctioning. Just within its hollows were rotting uniforms and rusted weapons hanging on racks.

"Zanarkand?" He uttered breathlessly, carefully observing the architecture. "Are my eyes deceiving me?"

"From the recordings I've seen, I don't think so." Yuna turned her head to judge his reaction.

"But how? We're on the other side of the globe! How did they get a settlement down here?"

"We still think before Sin came, Spira had superior technology to what we have now. Perhaps it served as an outpost in the time of the Machina War?"

"That… could be," Tidus continued, studying the architecture with a mix of awe and confusion. The conversation ceased when the droning noise reverberated through the room.

' _It's coming from up there.'_

Yuna pointed in the direction of the noise, mouthing her observation to Tidus. The pair cautiously walked up the wall, approaching the source, discovering it was coming from an open window in a dilapidated control room. It looked to be an ancient tuner machine in a state of serious disrepair.

"Maybe I can fix it." Tidus mouthed, making a motion imitating the turning of a wrench to make clear his intentions. Yuna nodded in approval, standing by and waiting for any instruction that Tidus might have imparted.

The pair halted when they felt the ground underneath them tremble, and again, before finally hearing a vicious snarl. Chunks of dirt and rocks were flung against the platform they were ascending. Their muscles locked up.

"What was that?" he mouthed with trembling lips.

Another throaty snarl vibrated through them, followed by loud footsteps. Yuna cringed and looked over her shoulder. A few seconds passed before she could register the ghastly lump of spikes and crimson scales.

' _No. No, no- Please don't let it be what I think it is. It_ _ **is**_ _, isn't it?_ '

A haywire Elder Drake had burrowed a tunnel in a fit. The scythes on its head were dripping with a disgusting green substance, and it was thrashing its head about mindlessly. In a bout of lost control it charged towards the tower, taking out part of its cylindrical side. Being dragged over the rocks was its thick tail, which lost its balance and whomped against the stairs. Tidus quickly caught Yuna and they both covered her mouth.

Tidus held back all sound. He pulled Yuna up onto the platform, motioned for her to keep low and fixed his eyes on the machine. He couldn't even hear his steps amidst the droning and the snarls.

The machine spurted another wave of dissonance. His plasma malfunctioned and cracked like fragile glass. He made a tough effort to swallow his cries. But it was all for naught when the wave hit the drake, causing it to flail around with a brutal force.

Having enough of the torture, the drake spun around to seek out the source of that mind-breaking noise. It was then that, even despite its poor eyesight, it noticed a concentration of pyreflies on the raised platform. Still under the sound's influence it butted into the marble, causing the chamber to destabilise.

Yuna shrieked his name, losing her balance and scrabbling to reach him. The stairs crumbled to grain and they were soon lodging themselves against the wall to escape the drake's onslaught.

They had no choice but to cast away their survival instincts and make a desperate dash to the far side. The last stretch of platform cracked and went lopsided. They slid across and lurched through the window, ensuring their balance as the marble fell onto the drake's head and gave it a painful concussion.

Tidus began to examine the hunk of metal and wires, ripping off the vines and moss in a state of infuriation. Yuna stood by the door with her guns rattling in her hands. The noise was now unbearable.

"Agh! It's _this_ cryptic formation-!" he barked, boring into the restoration instructions on the LCD screen. "I don't think I have time to translate."

She went over to see the problem. There were symbols she had never seen before in her life, with lines to indicate reading directions. ' _Does Tidus know this language? Zanarkandian, maybe?_ '

"Here." She took out a notepad and a pencil. "Write it down. I think the fiend's calmed itself."

Just as he finished jotting them down, a shadow veiled them and the drake's beady eyes beamed light onto their faces. It had gotten up onto its hind legs and was readying its fire breath. The machine's generator was wailing more keening pitches.

Tidus beckoned Yuna over and proposed his dastardly plan to her. After some chiselling with the Brotherhood they dislodged the generator from its position. The absence of its noise had made the fiend come to its senses, but it was too late. Their combined strength hurled the machine through the window and crashed onto the Elder Drake's metal helm. It lost its balance and toppled onto its back, presumably slain.

Exhaustion caught up to the couple. Very slowly they made their way back to the ground. All obvious signs of movement had vanished from the deadly fiend. The droning noise was cut off - peaceful silence bloomed. Their mission was complete.

"Let's get outta here," he suggested, tired smiles creeping onto their faces.

They looped their arms around each other for support and headed towards the previous entrance, which fortunately had not been blocked off. The pyreflies continued to swirl around their leader.

"Well. This is… rather humiliating."

Tidus paused. That voice definitely didn't come from Yuna. For one hers wasn't deep and raspy. He turned back to the only other possible source whilst she looked on in confusion. An elderly-looking yet rather muscular man was, to only him, floating in an ephemeral web above the drake.

"Hey there," Tidus said in a baffled tone, reaching out to the scales. The man peered down at him in a state of shock before shifting to one of intent.

"Ha, sorry. You forget how to talk with people when you hang with fiends," he chuckled, swinging his whip in and out of the drake's body. "You're a Zanarkandian, aren't you? I'm guessing your lady there isn't."

He could feel Yuna's eyes on his back, and it sounded like she was coming closer. "Hang on! How'd you know?"

"I might be a big, bumbling fiend now, but that doesn't mean I can't hear you yelling," he chuckled. "Drakes have good noses too. Yours and my blood reek of Zanarkand, boy. Your clothes as well."

Tidus exclaimed, realising he was looking upon one of his lost people. Guilt settled in and he rubbed his neck. "So I killed your fiend body, huh? Sorry about that…"

"Don't be," he murmured. "I've always regretted it. My fiend-taming business here got raided and I got shot by those Bevellians, and I got really, rather angry. Next thing I knew I came to with some claws, and then... How's the war going, by the way? Are we winning?"

That sentence was packed with impact for Tidus. He snickered with a mix of awkwardness and content. "Buddy. The war ended over a thousand years ago. Why do you think we're underground?"

"Wha-?!" he abruptly let go of his whip, yet it continued to float in his palm. "Well, I mean- Why _are_ we underground? Wait, are the other cities like this too? What about Kilika?"

"It's a really long story. I don't understand it all myself, but all the cities apart from a couple were destroyed. We've only begun to do something about it two years ago."

The man struggled and struggled to take in every word. He huffed loudly in disbelief and began to rub at his balding head, much to Tidus' chagrin. He really could relate to him.

"Anyway," He kicked a stray stone. "something happened to me, and I found out I could talk with, uh… dead people, pretty much. Wow, that sounds morbid- Anyway, you don't wanna be a fiend anymore, right?"

"No, not at all. My friends are all gone now and I don't belong in this world in this state," he mumbled sadly, tugging at the web that was binding him. "I want to repent for my envy and then go to the Farplane."

With the tuner's noise gone his plasma could work properly again. He stretched his fingers and clamped down on his palms, but he forgot that he had command of the pyreflies. They streamed into and around his hands, solidifying with a pleasant warmth before a blinding burst of aurorae shot from his skin's narrow gaps. He could feel the power circulating through his arms, and he began to hover slightly from the revelation.

"Thank you." The man smiled through his beard. "My name's Reuben of Zanarkand, by the way. Maybe we'll meet again someday."

"No problem, man," he laughed - partly because of the situation. "You can call me Tidus."

He unleashed the blasts of pyreflies, burning straight through the drake's dissolving hide and engulfing the cavern in a brief flash of light. Some of the energy dispersed into smaller particles and ate right through the roof, revealing the pink sky of the late afternoon. Through a temporary blind spell he could see Reuben waving to him and taking off to the surface with the rest of the pyreflies, almost going invisible under the sun.

Tidus and Yuna helped each other out of the hole; the former explained to her what very well looked like him talking to thin air. This left her deep in awe. She immediately got to pondering about numerous things, including the past of their home and what this could mean for her lover. They emerged from an overgrown mound not far off from the machina archway, and immediately ran back to the town to tell everyone the good news.

All throughout the evening the couple were lavished in praise and congratulations. The townsfolk even offered to throw up a midnight bonfire - only reserved for special occasions. Lulu had just sat down with her child, watching their severe embarrassment and frantic humbling with a wry grin.

"Hey, don't be leavin' Lu outta this! She helped too!" Wakka cried out to the unbreakable audience, only to feel his wife's hand push him down onto her log.

"No, don't go ruining it. This is funny." She giggled with an air of mischief, causing her husband to raise his eyebrows as high as they can go. He began to gnaw on his bottom lip.

"Drinks to the two dudes that killed the infestation! Lady Yuna and Sir Tidus, the… the, ahh…" The civilian backed away from the circle with burning cheeks, at a loss for what to call them.

"The Zanarkand Abes," Yuna finished for him, tugging at her emblem with a smug grin. The corners of her lips were only stretched further when she got a look at her partner's indescribable face.

* * *

The Gullwings were invited to the party, seeing as how they were already around. Brother practically towed his crew along with an eagerness to match fireworks. Upon entering the plaza he immediately swooped over to Yuna's side and began to parrot the praise he couldn't understand. Barkeep and Darling got to brewing some Hypello-brand alcohol. Strangely enough, Rikku kept her distance from Yuna, but got pre-occupied with Tidus and their strong desire to catch up on things. Buddy didn't really do anything - in fact he looked bored out of his mind and was constantly trying to negotiate with the slope's offer of freedom.

All of this was observed by Shinra, who managed to escape from Brother's entourage and hide in the hill's tall grass. He ventured further into the trees, finding a little spot where the breeze was constant and the moon bounced off the bark. He unzipped his mask, revealing a young face and ruffled blond hair, and began hitting his heels against a flat stump.

A CommSphere began to dial from his pocket. He took it out and was intrigued by the transmission's origin.

"It's Gippal, huh? This should be interesting." He tuned the sphere. Gippal's face appeared amidst the cold depths of Djose Temple.

"-testing, hello- Oh, hey. That was fast." He regained himself, clearing his throat. "So you're the one who invented these things. Pretty impressive for a…you _are_ a kid, right?"

"You're not the first one who asked that, but yeah," Shinra spoke, setting the sphere down. "What does the leader of the big, bad Machine Faction need from me?"

"You've gone freelance since our last 'operation,' right? The one with the giant machina of death?" Gippal asked, which he nodded at. "Well, we've got a bit of a code orange on our hands concerning that same machina."

"Go on."

"I'll spare you all the political stuff - they want us to dissemble it to prevent someone from using it. But I also have a bit of an interest in it," he mused, scratching at his eyepatch. "How's it possible to create a weapon with the potential to destroy the world?"

"Sounds scary," Shinra quipped, his voice ironically flat. "Bevelle's materials must be strong."

"That's why I'm asking you to lead this operation. Rumors are you've been moving towards harnessing Farplane energy, so this might help your research," Gippal muttered, leaning back into his chair and smacking his boot on the tabletop. "I got in touch with Lord Rin, so he'll be helping you on this mission. That's our funds sorted out at least."

"All right. I'll start packing up my stuff from the Celsius as soon as possible," he said, feeling a tinge of sadness hit him.

Gippal attempted to empathise with him. "I know you enjoy building your bestiary more, but this is something we have to do. I'll try and get someone to mind it for you. Heck, you might even find new fiends down there."

Shinra remained silent, tracing his finger along the stump's rings of age.

"I'll prepare your anti-pyrefly suit. It'd be nice if you came to Djose within a week."

With that farewell, Gippal logged off. The CommSphere frizzled with empty feedback.


	9. Curiosity

**Chapter VIII**

* * *

Tidus couldn't recall most of what had happened, only that the night before had cumulated into a noisy blur of partygoers, games and free champagne testing for him and Yuna. Even as the morning light called for him he could hear and feel a faint beat bouncing through his ears. He groaned and sat up, noticing that Yuna wasn't there first, and that there were sounds coming from the other side of the dividers second.

He got dressed and stumbled groggily into the kitchen, only to find Yuna and Lulu chatting away at the table. There was an open package sitting between them, containing some kind of reddish soup. Yuna turned and smiled at him.

"Morning!" she chimed to him as he made a seat beside her. She ladled a batch of the broth into a bowl and gave it to him. "Lulu's made us breakfast today."

Lulu was dabbing her lips with the cloth, having finished her bowl already. "I hope you like spice flower soup. It's a dish I invented."

"I see," Tidus muttered with a sceptical tone. He dipped the spoon in, tested the oily liquid with his nose and then looked over to Yuna, who was fanning her tongue and taking large gulps of water. ' _Who eats spicy things in the morning?_ '

"I just came over so I could discuss something with you two." She went for a smaller bowl for dessert, this time sprinkling in rocket leaves. "Namely about a shop I was looking to open. I hear you came across some interesting finds yesterday."

"Tidus, she wants to open an antique shop!" Yuna squeaked giddily, unable to fight down her excited grin. "Think about it! Those ruins we saw down there - we can excavate them and discover more of Besaid's history!"

"It would help us get some tourism too," Lulu added, keeping an intent eye on Tidus' first reaction to the soup. "Not to mention if you became my business partners, you'll get a share of the profit. It'll be handy if you're looking to make improvements to your little abode."

It took a while for him to respond as he was busy trying to fight down the burning, yet strangely addicting sensation on his tongue. "You know what? Yeah! That'd be great! So, you mean stuff like…"

He quickly ran into the bedroom and came out with the piece of paper with his tracings of the Zanarkandian script. Lulu only gave it a blank stare.

"I… have no idea what that is. " She slowly tilted her head up to meet his.

"Just give me a chance," he insisted with no sign of his enthusiasm watering down, sitting back down and making gestures to the symbols. "This is a code we used to write in Zanarkand! See here - these marks make a sound each, like that's 'ro,' and then that one's 'ai.' But they're jumbled up, so these arrows here say you have to read it straight down every syll- Are you listening?"

Lulu hummed numbly, eyes wandering to Yuna's confused ones. "Tidus, no offense, but not everybody's a linguist. Nobody's going to want something they can't understand, which is everyone except you."

"What?! Come on, there has to be _some_ use! What if you find something that's written this way?"

Yuna laid a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. She grimaced when she heard his dejected sigh. "I'd love to help, Lulu. When do we start?"

"Oh, not for a while. We have to get the place built, make a stock, set our work schedules, think of a name, advertise…" she rambled, watching Yuna's mouth drop ever so slightly with every problem. " _And_ the elders are going to be implementing a mayor into this town, so I want to run for that."

She at least perked up a little for Lulu's sake. Of course, she _had_ expected some technicalities, but she never knew a simple business could be so complicated.

"Think of it this way: it's a time for you to relax before you get to work." Lulu finished her second bowl, and was quite disappointed to see that the box was now empty. "How about you, Tidus?"

"He can come with me!" she exclaimed, turning to witness his growing smile.

"Yeah! Haven't you heard?" He took her arm and pumped it in the air. "We're the Zanarkand Abes now. We can explore and find new things around the world - as a team!"

"No." Her stern remark made them plummet from their high. "You're in hiding, remember?"

"But I'm innocent, right? They proved it themselves!"

"Are you really?" She leaned in with a vicious leer, which made Yuna very cautious. "I think they have even more of a reason to track you down after your little outburst."

It was then that Tidus got incredibly defensive of himself. He furrowed his brow and rose to his feet, matching Lulu's glare with an equal intensity.

"So? So what if I can see and talk to ghosts?" he said boldly, extracting gasps from the two women. "How in any way can that be a bad thing? I freed a man from his fiend body because of it!"

"It _is_ a bad thing when you've never been able to do it before, _and_ for that ability to come from the book of Necromancy. An art that was banished long ago because of its _corrupt users_ ," she talked down to him, emphasising her words with a seethe. "But of course, you wouldn't know about that. And it's for a fact that, like it or not, you came back from the _dead_."

He clenched his fists to the point where his knuckles whitened. But then the words sank in. His insecurity overtook his anger, and suddenly the barrage of questions were ramming against his head until he no longer possessed the will to make eye contact with them.

"Are you hiding something from us?" she asked genuinely, having reminded herself to calm down. Yuna took her chance to move to his side in an effort to comfort him.

"I don't know…" He dipped his head, submitting to the black of his closed eyes. Just the same as those two years in his solitude. "It was just darkness, you know? It was like no time passed at all."

Was he really just drifting around meaninglessly, without a purpose, for all that time? Or was his mind blocking out something that actually happened - something more sinister at play?

"I believe you," Yuna assured him, as Lulu nodded to confirm her same thoughts. "You were very confused when you came back."

"I wish I had more answers."

"Don't worry about it until you do." Yuna patted Tidus on the shoulder.

"Give me time, and I'll see if we can get this off the ground. Like I said though, take some time off. Spira's problems aren't always your problems, you know." Lulu focused her chiding stare at Yuna, who mock-saluted her.

Lulu helped them to clean up the table's mess and then tested her fire with her fingertip. Thanks to the spice it was blazing with a copious amount of vigor in its core. She smirked to herself and quickly distinguished it, gathering up the leftovers.

"All right, then. I'd best be going. Wakka will have gone to work." Before approaching the door she went over to Tidus' side once again. "I'm sorry for all that. Just- wherever you go, stay away from Youth League territory. Nooj is your biggest threat right now."

"I'm going to have to deal with him at some point, aren't I?" Tidus swallowed, a solemn tone breaking in his voice.

"You will _NOT_ do anything reckless. Got that?"

"I know, I know. Jeez!"

She nodded, seemingly pleased with his answer, and wedged herself between the threshold. She turned back to him and spoke one more time before leaving: "Yuna, you have to be careful with what Tidus does. Publicity, good or bad, is still publicity."

A damning silence fell between them. Tidus looked down at her with soulful, sorrowful eyes and went to lean on the counter. He put his leg up and watched the palm trees waft with the breeze from the window.

"Yuna," he began delicately, revising the sentences in his head with every flicker of the tall grass. "I'm just the same, right? Nothing wrong?"

She followed him and leaned beside him. "I hope that's true."

"Hope." Hope. _Hope_. Such uncertainty like this peeved him to no end. "Isn't there any way to find out for real?"

This was _him_ they were talking about. His reputation. His future. Which they would inevitably come to share if nothing was done to seek the truth. He didn't want himself - themselves - to become a target for scrutiny and distrust.

His eyes and voice steeled. "If I don't have the answers now, then I want to get them soon."

"Maybe there are some. But we don't know where to start."

"You said that sphere hunting became a thing because they wanted to discover the past, right? All the stuff that Sin distracted you from?" he pushed on, shifting over to make room for her.

"That's true." Yuna sat down beside him. "But do you really think spheres are going to help us? We aren't even sure what we're looking for yet."

"Yuna. Somebody happened to film Shuyin on one - a thousand years ago - and Kimahri just so happened to find it. And if you never saw it you might have never gone on that journey, and then… maybe you wouldn't be here right now." He hesitated on that last sentence, wondering if he was going too far, but he persisted to get his point across. "You weren't even sure if he _was_ me. So who knows? Maybe we'll find another sphere. Something that'll point us somewhere!"

Yuna bowed her head and plunged into her thoughts.

"We just have to realise what we're looking for. Maybe that really old sphere might kick that off."

She was still silent.

"And if some other hunter has that sphere, we'll just have to butt in!"

That got a laugh out of her. "And if someone has it, there's no telling what they'd do to hold on to it! Some of them aren't as scrupulous as the rest of us!"

"So? We bust down the front door!"

Suddenly, a streak of almost-forgotten history flooded her head. Trema. The man who sought to hide the past. The Via Infinito. Bevelle.

"Yuna?" he called to her, leaning closer to her face. "Yuna? Are you there?"

She shook her head, accidentally smushing her face into his neck. "Maybe I should give sphere hunting a shot once again. I think you would like it."

"If I can get the answers I need, then definitely!"

"When Lulu gets her shop up and running, that'll be when we'll consider it." She leaned forwards to open the window, letting the tropical jubilance fill their house as she got all cosy with him. "For now we should just relax. And get some practice. We'll be independent, after all."

He could just tell that she was uncomfortable on the oddly-shaped wood, so he took matters into his own hands. Literally. He scooped her up and made a full turn, earning a baffled yelp from his lover.

"H-hey!" Yuna attempted to force out a genuine-sounding protest. "I'm not exactly little, you know!"

"I know. This isn't the first time I've done this." He gave her a cheeky smile - tinted with a bit of shyness.

"Where are we going?" Yuna asked sheepishly, her cheeks aching into a rosy pink.

"It's a place Wakka took me to before I even met you." Tidus explained, carrying Yuna outside their humble abode and out of the town.

"You mean you and Wakka dated for a little bit?" Yuna teased, erupting in a giggle fit before she could even finish the sentence.

" _HEY!"_ Tidus shot back, before he himself caught the laughing bug. "No, ha- we just took a different route into town after he found me on the shore."

"That's right! It _was_ Wakka who found you, wasn't it?" Yuna recalled from the tales of countless nights by the bonfire.

' _And how grateful I am that he did._ '

"Yep. Tell you what, I'll tell you all about it when we get there, okay?"

"Okay! Does this mean I can walk now?"

"Nope."

* * *

They laid underneath bushels of ivy, dripping all over and talking the rest of the morning away with the reflections of the anemones rippling across the water, and the ever-so-slightly overcast sky soaring above them.

"So, you found ruins under this water too?" Yuna asked, tracing her finger across his arm.

"Yeah." He shuddered at her touch, reciprocating her movements. "I mean - when I first came here it was pretty strange, seeing those ruins. I thought I was having some crazy dream."

He couldn't help but chuckle in reminiscence at that part. Everything in Spira felt like a dream: the villages on top of ruined cities; the constant threat of monsters; all of the varieties of natural phenomena that he didn't even have the imagination to think of - yet somehow the _actual_ dream - his timeless utopia of a metropolis - he was entirely convinced that it was normal. He thought, although not for long, that he could actually go back there.

"I remember. You were so confused back when we first met. I remember everyone saying that night how crazy and dangerous you were." She leaned back to gaze at him with a deep longing. She tilted her head to the side. "But I didn't see any of that. All I knew was that you came to save me."

"And then you believed me when nobody else would," he whispered. The inner echo of that sentence caused him to rub his neck. "I think I needed it. Thanks for that."

"You also sounded and dressed weird, so that tipped me off." She laughed upon seeing his reaction, and stopped him before he could jab back. "But I liked that in you."

' _I've always liked you, actually._ '

She gazed up at him with those twinkling eyes and those dimpled cheeks. The real world continued its course while they were lost in a little spell of their own.

"Hey, Tidus?" She squeezed his shoulder and pointed to the crooked towers. "Can you tell me more about your Zanarkand?"

"Of course!" Tidus grinned. "Let's see, did I tell you that Zanarkand never sleeps?"

"Yes you did, silly!"

"Okay, bear with me!" Tidus outstretched his palms. "Everyone is always going somewhere, even through all hours of the night."

"Really?"

"Yeah! It's like a constant buzz in the back of your mind, the sound of the city at work. People always moving, always playing, always doing- something. It's really great. The food there is awesome too! They had these vendors on sidewalks where you could buy almost anything you wanted! Hot dogs, cotton candy, nachos, even baked apples. Then they would sell toffee apples in autumn-"

"Baked apples? How do you bake an apple?"

"It's simple, really. I'll find you some sometime and show you!"

"Would you? I'd be so delighted!" Yuna beamed

"Of course!" Tidus boasted. "If I can't take you to Zanarkand, maybe I can bring it here to you!"

"Wow- thank you."

"Don't mention it." He gave her a toothy grin, rolling his heels along the cool patch of dirt. "I lived out on a port in a boathouse, while everyone else mostly lived in the suburbs. Sometimes near the filtered water bridges if they were rich enough."

"But weren't you from a family that blitzed a lot?" she asked, holding a finger to her chin. "And you were a star player too. Weren't you… wealthy?"

"Kind of. I just stuck with the boat cause it was quieter, and I lived in it all my life." ' _And Dad wasted the money on beer,_ ' was what he dared not to speak out loud. That was in the past now. "I remember Mom said the boat was a family heirloom from a fishing chain, so she began to teach me to helm it, and then Auron had to take over."

"Jecht never told me about your other family." Yuna's voice jumped up an octave with curiosity. "Do you remember anything about them?"

"Well, yeah! I think there was…" He paused. "Yeah. Maybe there was. I never heard of or got seeing any of them."

Her face was a blank slate before it began emitting a sense of pity.

"Well, it's unlikely I'll find out now, right?" He sighed longingly, eyeing the towers. A family of gulls had made a nest in one of the window sockets. "Can't imagine I'll find any spheres from there in Spira."

She watched Tidus shifting his body around, and then crouching down to get closer to her face. For some reason, despite what he just said, he began to smile. She felt embarrassed yet admiring at the same time, with a sputter of a giggle escaping her.

"But I have you, right? And Wakka and Lulu - heck, the whole island," he mumbled sweetly. "You all feel like a family to me."

Absolutely touched, she pulled her in by his shoulders alone, nestling her face into his strong bones and his warm skin. "And it's going to stay that way. I assure it."

He pulled them up into a standing position and turned to observe the grand valley from their island. This, and Besaid - they were their home. The place they would stand on, protect and return to when all was said and done. It was all theirs. Tidus pulled Yuna in for a full kiss on the lips, and he parted ever so slowly to let the dreamy feeling linger on.

"What was that for?" she breathed with a flushed smile.

"Because we haven't done that in a while," he stated naughtily, feeling the rush from the advance coming on. "I missed it."

"And you won't be missing it for a while, Miss-ter," she teased him with a sly expression, bopping him on the nose.

The noise of a gurgling stomach interrupted the rather personal mood. Neither of them were sure where it came from, but then Tidus gave in and they started laughing loudly.

"Hey, I'm a big eater!" he managed to get out. He looked around for any sign of the bonfire smoke from where they were, but they were in too much of an obscure position to see it. "Hey, Yuna, let's give those baked apples a whirl. They go great with syrup!"

He directed them through the underwater tunnel as a shortcut back to the town. If there was ever a blatant change within her, yet one that he couldn't be happier for, it was that she could hold her breath for minutes at a time. She had told him that it was something for her to develop in her spare time - something that he would be proud of considering all of the mental and physical barriers she had to traverse in order to achieve it.

' _I wonder how well you'd do now_ ,' he wondered, watching her every determined flex against the current's force, their joint hands ensuring that they wouldn't be separated. ' _You're way stronger than I thought._ '


	10. The Message

**Chapter IX**

* * *

The day came to Besaid Island devoid of its usual sunrise, instead slowly creeping into a drab, damp grey. The normally quaint, quiet village became almost lifeless as its inhabitants sought shelter from the soaking rain that had fallen since the previous afternoon.

Sunshine could still be found, however, sleeping unusually late into the morning.

"Good morning!" Yuna chirped, shifting the curtains that separated their bedroom from the rest of their place.

Tidus stirred groggily, rubbing his eyes before lazily shifting himself to a sitting position. "W-what happened?"

Yuna flinched at the question, her cheeks burning red. "Do I really need to explain it? Don't you remember? You kind of- got a bit uncomfortable with the storm rolling in, so we curled up for a bit, and then-"

"No no, I remember that!" Tidus waved, trying to change the subject in deference to Yuna. "I mean, storms never bothered me at all until now. I was having nightmares about the Thunder Plains last night!"

Yuna tilted her head, thinking back to the time after defeating Yunalesca, and the relative calm that ensued before they devised a plan to tackle Sin from the inside.

"If I remember correctly, didn't you go through a lot of hard work to gift each of us something special?" Yuna snickered, recalling all of the turbulence that he put himself through, and how she and all of her guardians had stood back and watched with stacks of potions at the ready.

"I wanted to show all of you how much you meant to me." He quickly glanced away and shuffled further into the heat of the quilt. "Before I had to go."

"So you already knew then?" Yuna swallowed, feeling a growing ache in her stomach from having to talk about _that._

"I was hoping against hope, to tell you the truth, but yeah. I already had a good idea." He clenched his teeth, feeling the mist of tears edging on his eyes. "I knew ever since that place with all the fayth statues. But when we talked to the fayth in Bevelle that one time, that was when I fully understood, I think. It was too late to tell you because we were gonna go beat Sin and I couldn't distract you-"

"I understand, Tidus." ' _What would I have done had I known what would have happened? I- I'm not-'_

"I wonder if I Rikku'd myself!" Tidus mused, trying to change the subject once more. "I could have sworn I dodged over two hundred lightning strikes trying to find something proper for Lulu!"

"Don't forget your little quest for that Sun Sigil," she mewled, intentionally egging him on.

" _This damn drunken pisstake of a chocobo! You son of a bi-"_ Tidus' reflexes had shot into mach speed. He covered up his mouth as quickly as possible and calmed down, feeling his ears started to burn up, and then looked up at her mischievously. "You did that on purpose."

"It's funny, though!" Yuna giggled, sitting down on the quilt and stretching herself over his covered body.

Even though the land was doused with rain, it was still incredibly humid. The gentle lull of the drops pattering against the stone of their now-furbished home was sending her into a sleepy trance.

"I'm surprised we didn't talk about all that yet." He sat up and leaned against the headboard, stroking Yuna's hair. "I can't believe it's been over three months already - just like that."

"Well, you did miss a few things!"

"More than a few!" Tidus exclaimed, pulling Yuna into a warm embrace. "I still want to hear anything you can think of to tell me, though."

Yuna smiled daintily, resting her head on his shoulder. "How about after you get something to eat, hm? I tried out those baked apples that you showed me!"

"Really?" His voice leaped upwards with a rasp. Yuna moved back over onto her feet, but he wasn't exactly thinking straight when he followed her. It took a second and her gasp before he lunged for the covers again, feeling like his whole face was going to melt off. "J-just let me get dressed first!"

"Um- sure. I'll be out- in the kitchen…" Yuna stammered, her face flushing beet red. ' _I need a glass of water! No, a whole tub!'_

They got out an assortment of berries and other tender fruit to lather the apples in. As they sat at the table, attempting to laugh off their flustered predicament that morning, somebody began to bang frantically at their door.

"Ey, ey! Open up! You sleepin' in again?!"

"Just a second, Wakka," she really said to herself before going over to unlock the door. He came crashing through, deprived of energy, his pompadour darkened and drooping over his face from the rain. "What's-"

"You two's ship's gonna drift out to sea! We need extra hands!"

"It looked fine last night," Tidus muttered before Wakka stormed towards him and yanked him off the cushion. He cried out in protest.

"C'mon, _sailor._ My word's the best word you'll have," he growled, his flabby muscles struggling to match up to Tidus' chiselled ones. "What, you expectin' the sea to be all sunshine an' rainbows all the time?"

Tidus just groaned and sighed in defeat as Yuna went to dig out their umbrella; Wakka recently gained the uncanny ability to shut down nearly any debate with his voice alone, even if his points were nonsensical. Over the last while he had won a fair few arguments with the elders using it, including the time they wanted to bind Yuna to even more guidance appointments.

' _Lulu must've given him pointers_ ,' he thought with a good-natured grudge, constantly getting bumped out of the man's way for a spot underneath Yuna's small umbrella. The mud sank in-between his toes with a grimy, slimy sensation. ' _Oh well. I don't mind the rain anyway._ '

"Throw the rope!" Tidus called out on the bullhorn, frantically motioning to Datto, who had somehow climbed aboard the tossing _Romantique._ Datto visibly struggled first to locate, then haul in the flailing line.

With all of his might, Datto flung the heavy rope overboard as far as he could- only to have his toss blunted by a sudden lean to port. Visibly frustrated, Tidus chucked the bullhorn and dove into the churning waters.

"What th'ell does he think he's doin'?" Wakka groaned.

Honestly, Tidus himself wondered the same thing. Doggedly he grasped the line, swimming along its length until he came to its conclusion.

"I got the bow, now if someone will get-"

"I got it!" Tidus turned to see his companion's head bobbing in the animalistic waves, the heavy line attached to the stern splayed across her shoulders. ' _Oh no, Yuna. I wanted someone else!'_

"Damn it!" Tidus growled, a heightened sense of urgency in his actions. He swam hurriedly towards the pier, not caring one bit where the churning sea would take him. He didn't even realize he had slammed his knee against the pier as he clambered up, Botta taking the slack from the rope as Tidus sprinted across.

Yuna had already pulled herself back up on the pier, handing her line to Jassu as Tidus rushed to greet her. "Yuna!"

"Not now, Tidus! Help us tie the stern down!" Yuna commanded, determined to finish the task at hand.

Tidus blinked; seeing Yuna's calm, determined posture under fire shocking him. "R-right!"

The pair, now joined by Jassu and Keepa, strained to pull _Romantique's_ stern to the pier, prevailing against the choppy seas as Jassu secured the stern. The group then assisted as Wakka, Botta, and Letty hauled in the bow.

The two sides balanced each other out and, with blisters and calluses stinging against the bristled rope, the ship was anchored to the shallows and sheltered from the blunt of the wind. The Aurochs slumped over in exhaustion and went to lay down on the soggy leaves.

"That was a close one, eh? She nearly had her maiden voyage without yous!" Wakka guffawed, spiralling into a pained groan as he flexed his aching fingers. "Huh- ah, hey! Yuna, where ya goin'?"

She rounded the body of the _Romantique_ and paced up the boardwalk, checking the pulleys and the sail first. Tidus had caught up with her then, and they carefully roamed the two-storey cabin to inspect the damage. The windows had been shattered by the previous night's gales, allowing them to ravage the master bedroom and the inner garden. Water was leaking into the compartments as well. Somebody was fiddling with and slamming on one of the portholes. The tanned girth of their fist just barely squeezed through.

"Everything all right in there?" Keepa called to them, using his protruding gut to support himself against the planks.

Wakka strode over to him, his legs swamped by the water pooling in his suspenders, and snatched their intruder away to chastise him. As he was giving him quite the earful, the sound of squeaking, splintering wood impacted them. They turned around to see a rotting rectangular gap in the compartments, and Tidus poking his head through it with a hopeless expression.

"So much for quality Besaidian wood," Tidus scoffed with a visible snide, wedging his leg along the width to prevent the stream of water flowing inwards.

Wakka laughed nervously, gripping and pulling at his hair while Keepa puffed his cheeks out. "Well, I mean- The trees don't exactly know what storms are like, ya? We don't get them of'en."

He stuck his hand out to feel the downfall of rain; it seemed that it was letting up a little, with the clouds starting to lighten up and split apart to herald some of the sky. Just then a bolt of lightning struck terror from the black storm clouds heading south, to be followed by the rolling beats of thunder sweeping across the island. He crashed against the ship in exhaustion, making it tilt a little.

"I suppose that's our journey postponed for a little while," Yuna muttered to Tidus, watching through the slit from the inside.

He receded and went over to sit down on one of the barrels. He was unable to keep a focussed gaze in his bout of irritancy. "Maybe we should hide this somewhere to protect it."

She propped herself up against the arcing wood with her shoulders, deep in thought for a resolution. ' _There's always our cove. But I don't want people finding it… Can we get someone else to repair it? How about…_ '

"We can call the people on the Celsius to repair it!" She snapped her fingers, the lightbulb burning brightly in her head.

"Hey. You know, that's not a bad idea," he blurted, beginning to jog over the dynamics. "I think the guys put a System Sphere on the deck. Did you know Rikku's been practising mechanics? I thought she could only make things blow up!"

Whatever ecstatic feelings Yuna held at that moment had fizzled out upon hearing her name. Her body came to a standstill. Mixed emotions were swinging in and out of her conscience.

"You've been speaking to Rikku, huh?" she spoke in monotone, angling her body so that she could fold her arms.

"Yeah! We've been catching up a lot! Aren't you two…" His movements towards the staircase ceased when he sensed her change of mood. "...catching up as well?"

Yuna just shrugged her shoulders deeper into the wall. A painful twine hit Tidus in his gut, and he was dragged down to her level with a whirring, dying feeling. The air took on an unbearable heat as he stumbled to get back to her.

"Y-Yuna, we're just talking, you know? That's what friends do!" he reasoned, feeling his heart quickening in a blend of passion, desperation and fear. "I'd never hurt you like that."

"Ah-! No, no-no-no! I wasn't _accusing_ you of anything!" she insisted, quickly reaching out to him while giggling guiltily. "It's just… Ah, goodness! I'm sorry - I shouldn't have been like that."

"It's all right!" he repeated, soon getting choked out by his own laughs. He could feel her wrapping her arms around him lightly, and her own laughs vibrating off his skin. ' _Man, she's right. I really am silly._ '

' _He's so sensitive…_ ' her mind concluded affectionately once she calmed down. A small smile curled up her lips as she felt his heartbeat, revelling in his body's honesty. ' _What a strange way to cheer me up._ '

Their feet were starting to get damp from the stagnating water, so they stuck a crate in front of the hole and ascending the floors hand-in-hand, heading up to the deck to locate the fortunately-unscathed System Sphere. They soon ran into a big problem. The Celsius' wouldn't respond. Tidus tried the next-best thing and tuned his CommSphere, which was linked to Rikku's. No picture would adjust, however. She wasn't picking up.

The Aurochs had eventually pressured them into getting off the ship. Between building the couple's house, their ship and Lulu's shop, they revealed that if they cut any more wood they would be in trouble with the island's preservation law. Therefore they would have to import wood from deep within Djose, which would cost money as well as time.

They had talked it over with Lulu later in the day, who was proving herself a prime candidate for Mayor of Besaid between all of her displays of willpower and wisdom, and along with Wakka they had easily agreed to pay the import fees with the loot from the pilgrimage.

The negotiations had droned on until the sun was beginning to drop off into the west. Their throats hoarse and dry, Tidus and Yuna decided to head back home for some late lunch. He unravelled one of the scrolls hanging above the kitchen and began to follow the recipe.

"How does toast with bean soup sound?" he called over his shoulder, filling up the glasses from the springwater container.

"Sunshine, you know I don't expect you to be fancy all the time," she chimed gently, immediately going against her own words as she got out the decor set and laid out the table with precise creative integrity.

"I know. But I like playing around with it all. It's pretty fun!" He laid the glasses on the floral-shaped lace and held the case for her. "Good food's important, especially if you're running around everywhere."

Yuna sat there motionless for a moment, and when she got the chance she held her hand to his cheek, prodding along his curved, yet chiselled jaw. She observed the great contrast of her milky-white skin and his of golden-brown, and she lightly chewed her bottom lip when he grinned into her palm.

After some stirring, Tidus left the olive-coloured broth to boil as they sat at the table. He had gotten out his CommSphere yet again and was tweaking it mindlessly. Yuna was brushing her ticklish hand against the flower petals, lost in thought.

"She _was_ acting strange when she told me about the 'mechanics' stuff," he admitted, his knuckles rapping against the tablecloth. "Maybe it's because they weren't getting any spheres."

"No spheres?" Her head snapped upwards and her eyes bulged. "What, for a long time?"

"Some 'Leblanc' woman keeps beating them to the punch, apparently. It's taking a toll on them," he accounted. "Ever since you and Paine left, she said. From the sound of things I think she's a big, fat crook."

She diverted her shaky eyes to the mat, getting hit by resurfacing memories upon hearing those keywords. Months ago she had been everything from a treasure hunter to a pillager, distracting herself from the lows of her past with those days. It seemed that, funnily enough, times were simpler back then. A gang to serve for. Companions to adventure with…

"She really misses you."

This time her head turned sloppily to face his. "But she won't talk to me."

"I think… it's kind of complicated." He had gone quiet, which was becoming a common direction for him these days. "It's like you want to talk to somebody, but there's that feeling in the back of your head - that fear that they won't feel the same way. That fear of getting rejected despite your really strong desires."

Intrigued with what he had to say, she only talked with her mind. ' _That's…_ '

"And then sometimes that turns into anger. That they don't understand you right away cause to you, it looks so obvious, and you _want_ them to notice. And sometimes that _want_ turns into getting really sad or worried." He paused, both to catch his breath and to revise his little tirade. "I went through that with a few people… I'd say Jecht was the first and- really only big one. He caused a lot of things in my life."

Yuna nodded wistfully, laying aside the shock of his words to think back to the early stages of their relationship, where whatever he had to say looped back to his father, and how he dimmed with every spoken word about him. Claiming to hate him with such vigilance - that turned out to be mistaken for a want to be validated.

And she could not let it be forgotten that Rikku was family - blood shared between races and classes. Cousins that were close on the pilgrimage and even closer on the sphere hunt, only for them to just drift away. And she wasn't exactly blameless for that decay.

' _But everything happened so fast. I couldn't just give up my happiness when I didn't want to,_ ' she mused, straightening herself to stare into Tidus' eyes with a difficult frown. "I have been trying, you know. But every time we get a chance she ignores me. I wish I could help her…"

Somebody began to knock on the door and Tidus volunteered to answer it, patting Yuna comfortingly on the shoulder as he walked past. Her elbow slipped against the tablecloth while she was thinking down many blockaded roads. Wondering what had become of Rikku - in fact, the Gullwings as a whole. Where it all crumbled apart. All of that seemed to get left in the dust however, when a white and blue envelope was slipped underneath her nose.

"The messenger said it was for you," he said, raising a curious, cautious eyebrow as he sat down again.

"How strange. Nobody writes letters anymore unless it's confidential…"

She continued to mutter under her breath, slitting the feather seal open with her fingernail. She began to read the message out loud, which was written mechanically in ruled lines.

 _To whoever receives this letter,_

 _you are to meet up with two other people in the Luca Stadium on August 24th; the east block on the front row, fifth from the right._

 _Once gathered, travel to Iutycyr. There you will find Spira's tallest monument. Reach the top by powers yours and yours alone, and there will be something worth seeing._

 _Before you start thinking this is suspicious, I have saved the place's co-ordinates into the Celsius' system. Those Al Bhed on there have been very protective of it in recent days, so that would say something about myself._

 _Sincerely, unknown._

"Who is this person? And what is it that's 'worth seeing'?" Yuna pondered aloud. ' _What could it be? Could it be a sphere? A new Grid?'_

"Spira's tallest monument?" Tidus tilted his head in confusion. "I haven't even heard of the place!"

"I haven't either!" Yuna replied, her chords astonished.

"Really?" Tidus' voice raised an octave. "If you haven't heard of it, then who?"

"Perhaps we can find out." Yuna folded the letter neatly, slipping it back into the envelope. "This could be the start of a new adventure, you know?"

"Yuna. Hold on a moment." Tidus couldn't help but put it bluntly. "That letter was for you. Not us. You."

"You really think so?" Yuna's eyes flared wide. "I don't see why you couldn't come though!

"It was addressed only to you though. They might not know I exist, or maybe they do and don't want me. Or maybe it's a ruse…" He shivered all over, recalling the cold, dark cell from his nightmares. "Either way, I think if they wanted me, they would have asked."

"What if it _is_ a ruse?"

"I can handle myself just fine, Yuna. Plus, Wakka and Lulu are here as well. I know they have my back if need be."

' _But that's my job…"_

"What if _I_ need you though?" Yuna let out a little frigid breath, huddling closer to the table's edge.

"Are you kidding me? If you haven't noticed, you've been the one bringing me back up to speed all this time!"

"You're making it sound as-"

"I need you, Yuna," he said with a quiet drama. "But that doesn't mean you shouldn't be out there if it's meant for you."

"But, we'll be apart. Doesn't that make you nervous?" Yuna bit her lip longingly.

"It does," he resigned, his knees edging towards the rim of the cushion. Towards her. He held a sad, yet understanding smile. "But I know you can take care of yourself. You're strong, Yuna."

"But what if you disappear?" ' _I would never forgive myself if he faded while I was gone.'_

"That… won't happen," Tidus replied under his breath. "I'm here to stay."

"Are you sure about that?"

' _...I'm not…'_

The hesitancy in his voice only worsened the matter. He watched Yuna's face contort into an anguished frown, and knew he had to say something. Anything. ' _I can't believe how much I've held her back. I shouldn't have let this happen. Yuna can't think like this.'_

"Look, Yuna. You lived under the threat that Sin could strike at any moment." Tidus exhaled deeply, searching for words even as he spoke. "In my Zanarkand, there wasn't a day that passed in which someone's unfortunate passing was on the news. It could have been an accident, illness, or the result of human error."

"Really? Even in Zanarkand?"

"Yeah…" Tidus swallowed. "My point is, there's a lot of ways to get taken out in the world. Any freak thing could just as easily get you. But if I worried about every little thing that could potentially happen, it would drive me crazy! So there's one more thing that could take me out than could happen to you. You can't live life worrying about things like that."

He rounded the table to clasp Yuna's hands. The room had gone warmer because of the soup. Sunlight was angling through the gaps in the windows. The ivy partitions hanging over them were swaying in the faint breeze.

"Someone dies every day, Yuna. There's no way to stop that. We- We aren't really ones to talk- but Seymour deserved that! We just gotta take every day of life as a blessing. Cherish them, even." He slowly knelt down to her, suppressing the unbearable urge to embrace her as tightly as he could. "I didn't disappear the day after I came back. Or last month. Or yesterday. I'd say the odds are in our favour."

She didn't notice that she was hyperventilating until she could hear the huffs herself. She squeezed the hand that hers were pushed against. Solid and warm.

"And you know what? Even if the fayth come and drag me back someday, I'm gonna clock them and walk straight back home."

She could read his body language like an open book - the way he was ebbing forward and yet leaning backwards. Feeling his same urge she pushed herself off her cushion and nestled into his body, lightly kissing the place where his heart was. Some of the tears threatening to fall had been shaken loose by the force of his arms crowding around her.

"Yuna… do you know how I felt? When I found out what would happen at Zanarkand?" he whispered, choking a little on his own emotions. "I panicked a lot. The thought of _you_ dying? I- I just couldn't accept that."

"I know, Tidus," she mumbled weakly.

"So those days, I was too busy thinking about things I didn't even know about - the future - than focussing on what was ahead. At times, I think I just completely forgot _what_ you were gonna sacrifice yourself for."

A hint of guilt came through with that last sentence. He sighed heavily into her hair.

"I was really, well, caught up in you and your choices. So I may have been coming off as selfish during the last stretch… And you called me out for it. Thanks. Seriously."

She pulled back a little bit and laughed, raising her eyebrow at him with a crooked smile. "I don't honestly know where you're going with this."

He took a while to respond, searching for the answer himself.

"I'm saying that you shouldn't let me hold you back." He chuckled, taking an uncertain, rather random blow to his own ego. "I love… Well, yeah. I love you a lot. Every second with you. But I don't want you constantly holed up here because of _us_. It's not healthy."

"But it's not us! We're planning to go-"

"Still, Yuna," he intercepted her gently. "I just want you to go out and have fun whenever you want, without worrying about me. Please understand."

Moments passed, and then she nodded acceptingly, but with a tiny smirk of positivity. She trailed the hands that were planted on his back all the way up to cup his neck. Tidus chuckled in his throat, and she could see a faint blush trying to hide beneath his tan.

"So go to 'You-tee-sir,' and you can tell me all about it when you get back," he said, a grin blooming over his face. "And then we can go there again someday. I doubt Spira's tallest monument is gonna run away anytime soon."

"Let's see… It's the 21st today. If I have to take two boats I should leave tomorrow," she concluded, leaning back to get a whiff of the savoury air. "I'm going to miss your cooking, aren't I?"

"Tell me about it. Ship rations are crap."

Once they ate, they spent the rest of the day packing up what Yuna would need for her adventure. She booked a full trip for the S.S. Liki and also went around the town, bidding her farewells to as many people as she could in advance. She and Tidus spent the rest of the afternoon with activities in their cove before finally heading to bed early.

His spine sank into the mattress, with Yuna curled up perfectly with her cheek on his chest, given warmth by the tone of his far arm. They laid there in solace, waiting until the sun had vanished - that was when they could drift into peaceful sleep.

"I was dreaming of you the other night," she confessed, feeling her muscles shrivel up as the words escaped her.

"Oh? What about?" Tidus asked, wrapping both of his arms around Yuna's waist.

"Well, it was all kind of a blur, to be honest with you. It's embarrassing, really."

"Come on! You're talking to the prince of all dorks!" Even though she couldn't see it at the moment, she could hear that infectious grin in the way he cheered her on. "Now you have to tell me!"

"I- I don't know, Tidus." Yuna sighed. ' _I shouldn't have brought it up. Now isn't the time.'_

"Yuna, please." Tidus' voice dropped to a more serious tone as he pulled her into his full embrace, trying to coax an answer out of her.

"Okay. I came out of the house one morning, and I see you teaching this person blitzball. I couldn't quite make out their face, but it looked like the both of you were having such a wonderful time. It really did." Yuna's voice trailed off into a faint whisper as she closed her eyes.

' _That's the gist of it. I hope I didn't say too much!"_

"I didn't mean to pester you with it," she apologized faintly.

Tidus perked a quizzical eyebrow, connecting the dots in his head. ' _Oh.'_

"You aren't pestering me, Yuna," he replied. He waited an awkward amount of time for her response, only to be greeted with snoring. "Well, goodnight then."

' _I bet you were happy too.'_


	11. Lightwaves

**Chapter X**

* * *

At long last, Yuna walked off the hutch of the Celsius, sauntering forward in the shallows with an awkward, unforgiving stretch. The mountains of trees towered above the eerily empty beach. She was alone.

Until more footsteps sounded. Rikku, seemingly chipper as always, skipped down the way to come up just behind her. She could sense that chilling, distant force - like magnets repelling her. Every motion in her arms fizzled out. Even the birds dispersed.

"Hey," Rikku started, bouncing without motivation. "At least it was fun, wasn't it?"

"Of course it was!" Yuna replied, swallowing her shame to look at her cousin straight-on. "I just… was hoping it wouldn't end like that, of all things."

Rikku gave her a stilted chuckle, rubbing at an itch on that face that had conveniently developed. ' _Paine, and now you. There's nothing left, huh?_ '

"Hey, Yunie. I just wanna let you know- Well… Yeah, yeah. I should tell you!" she rambled, regaining her posture once she was ready. "Listen. The Gullwings are splitting up. As in, the whole crew. For good."

" _What_?"

"Pops is taking the airship and us back to the desert. He's making us work for him," she muttered hollowly, a slither of spite on her tongue. She quickly held up her hand upon gauging Yuna's reaction. "But there's no way he's taking _me_ back! I have my hidey holes all over the place. It'd be so embarrassing if his stupid little army got me!"

She had to physically strain herself to admit the words she wanted to say. "So you're going solo as well?"

"I've been like that for ages. It distracts me." Rikku felt the muscles in her mouth going numb. "So, yeah. That's that."

"Mm…"

...

"I- I think I should get going!" she yelped, her pupils darting all over the place, and finally - focussing on her cousin with humiliation.

"Hopefully I'll see you around," Yuna mumbled sadly, weakly waving to her.

"Yeah. You too."

The gust of dissonance had finally pried them apart. Rikku exaggerated her steps in the water as she stomped back to the airship. Simultaneously Yuna had took off towards the island at a much faster pace. A colourful gull was perched at the rear entrance. It squawked at Rikku, who just sighed dejectedly and huddled up in the engine room.

"What am I gonna do now?" she whimpered, slumped against a storage chest. The steam clouded her vision. "Where am I gonna go?"

She pushed herself off the floor and made her way to the bridge. The hutch began to clamp up. The gull made a narrow escape and soared to the sky.

* * *

Yuna could feel the impact of the Celsius' engines charging up and blasting off at full force, exhuming an arc of noise and effluvium across the jungle. She couldn't even muster up the courage to look back. She just continued into the glades, taking the long and twisting road back to the town.

Joy enveloped her when she found out her two companions to Iutycyr would be Rikku and Paine. After months of not having the chance to speak or write to each other, she was so eager to reconcile with them. However, as the euphoria of their reunion faded away, that was when she could sense some problems between them. A wall that wasn't quite there but was lingering nonetheless.

She pinned it all on tension. She convinced herself that nothing was actually between them. And for a while it worked. Until halfway through their journey, when Rikku decided out of the blue to criticise her life choices, and accuse her of cutting their ties.

She had to defend herself. Let it be known that her own idea of happiness was none of Rikku's concern, and that was where she went wrong. It kept escalating and swelling until even Paine had lost her temper, and from then on they did not speak unless they absolutely wanted to.

In hindsight, finding out that Paine was the one who wrote those letters - as an attempt to bring them back together - riddled her core with guilt. And although they _had_ realised their differences - and indeed, the journey's end was worth it for the beautiful sights - deep down they each knew that they could not go back to what they once were. After all, just like back in their Gullwings days, it was the missions and the thrills that brought them together. Their friendship was secondary.

And now, after having found out that the Gullwings were officially defunct, she realised that their expedition of Iutycyr could have very well been their last mission. For _that_ to be their swan song…

' _I guess the memories are all I have left,'_ she noted sadly, feeling an aching pit in her stomach as she treaded down the hill. ' _We were only a crew, and now it's gone. There's nothing that can change that._ '

Since she had departed from the island and it being the middle of the week, the town was scarce. As usual, some of the older folk were filing in and out of the temple. Her two guardians and their child were sitting on a picnic blanket, enjoying some family time. Thoughts of Tidus entered her mind then, sending her stomach erupting with a flurry of butterflies. She approached them with a flight in her step.

"Welcome back," Lulu greeted her, looking over to her husband who was clumsily waving and holding Vidina. He was quickly adapting to crawling around on his knees, and had to be constantly watched over lest he decide to wander off.

Yuna crouched down and held out her fingers to the toddler, who grabbed them with a happy gurgle. Her eyes instinctively wandered to the shaded path to the west, and she didn't even have to ask the question.

"Your boyfriend's been busy lately, ya?" Wakka stated sincerely. "Gotta admit, the kid's handy with a hammer. And the Aurochs finally made 'im touch a blitzball again! Wanted to see that crazy shot of his that knapped us all our games."

"Really? How'd it go?" She looked at the couple. ' _Tidus still doesn't want to give it a name?_ '

"Datto knocked himself out cold, and then Botta used Letty as a ball target," he said, trying to keep a straight face. "Rest of 'em couldn't do it at all. I dunno how Tidus does it. You'd figure life in his Zanarkand woulda made him softer than peaches."

"He's just really wanted to make himself practical. Not that I'm complaining." Lulu chuckled, inclining her head to her hut which was junctioning into her storefront. "Oh, and he went into the temple shop the other day. He said he wanted to surprise you for when you get back."

Yuna's eyes twitched higher, her lips shifting around in sudden nervousness.

"And she does mean _surprise_. Lu was shocked when she saw it herself, eh?" Wakka nudged her side with his shoulder, earning a brief glare and a command to secure Vidina. "Ah- Me too, y'know? Had no idea, someone like him."

"Can you tell me?"

"Now why would I spoil it for ya?"

"Then I'll have to see for myself. Bye, you three!" she chirped, building a sprinting start into the town's encompassing thicket.

* * *

It was an old, familiar song that chimed through the place, the faint reverberations of which echoed just outside their home. Yuna caught a few notes, hanging delicately in the humid air. ' _That sound…'_

He was lost in the keys, combining notes together to produce a soothing, gentle melody. He hummed along in unison, the reflexive movements returning moment by moment.

"... _And a thousand words_

 _One thousand confessions,_

 _will cradle you_

 _Making all of the pain you feel,_

 _seem far away_

 _They'll hold you forever…"_

It didn't register immediately that the words didn't originate from his own mind. He turned his head to find Yuna singing right along with him with the brightest of smiles on her face curling on her lips at the intermission.

"I didn't tell you to stop, you know!" Yuna beamed.

He stammered uneasily with his mouth hanging open, letting a grin of his own spread across his face as he rubbed his head. His other hand lay on the keys, gently pressing down to release a low bossa tone.

He scooted over to make room for Yuna on the bench. She observed the style of the classical piano - sleek ivory with spherewater running through tubes, and terra cotta decorations sitting on the top. She kept her hands to herself, not daring to risk a mistake, instead conveying her emotions to Tidus through her eyes.

' _I never knew you could play piano,_ ' she thought affectionately. She tilted her head. ' _Shuyin did as well._ '

"You know _1000 Words_?" he finally spoke, shaking himself from the daze Yuna had created with her voice. ' _And you can_ _ **sing**_?'

"One of the dresspheres I used to have held Lenne's soul inside of it." She set her hands in her lap, not able to bring herself to look away from him. "She wrote that song. It channeled through me and I sang it at the Thunder Plains."

"Lenne? Wrote this song?" His voice was broken up into baffled pieces. He blinked every second, and then turned back to the instrument. "But- My mother taught me this! She said an- an ancestor of mine wrote it, and it was passed down through us."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely sure!" Tidus continued. "It's solid, Yuna!"

"Hm…" Yuna pondered intently. "Maybe I was wrong? I could have sworn she wrote it, but enough about that. I missed you!"

"I missed you too!" Tidus pulled Yuna beside him, a welcoming grin on his face. "So, tell me what happened!"

"Well…" Yuna tilted her head down. "It turned out it was Rikku and Paine that got the other two letters."

"You went up the tower with Rikku and Paine? Awesome! I bet you all had a blast catching up with each other!"

Her head hung limp, still. Her right hand slithered up to his left, aching for some kind of comfort. The silence continued to break through his walls of enthusiasm until a revelation hit him, and his expression fell to a matching pity. He held her, offered her the most genuine smile he could muster up and coaxed her onto his shoulder.

She began to tell him everything that happened then; it was quite difficult to put the entire experience into words, considering the tower was unlike anything she had ever seen. But explaining the gradual degradation of her bond with her ex-companions was enshrouding her with a tired, sickly air. Climbing Iutycyr's massive span had begun to feel like more of a curse than an adventure at that point.

"You don't have to talk about it anymore if you don't want to," Tidus assured her with a worried tone. "I won't pry."

"Thank you." Yuna steeled herself, trying to obey his words. Much to her dismay a hint of bitterness seeped in. ' _Goodness knows if I tell you what Rikku said about us._ '

Tidus achily swallowed his response upon seeing the look of dejection in Yuna's posture as he held her for as long as she needed. "Hey Yuna, I have some lunch made up if you want it." He encouraged as he rubbed her shoulders.

"I'm not that hungry." Yuna shook her head as she settled into his grasp sideways. "Maybe later."

' _Oh. Maybe it's time for Plan B: the big guns. Yevon help me. Wait, why am I asking for Yevon's help?'_ Tidus drew a deep breath, forcing an effort to not choke on the words.

"Okay, _Moonlily._ "

Yuna craned her neck back with all possible speed and a raised eyebrow. ' _Oh no, I botched it, I botched-it-botched-it-botched-it-botched!'_

"Did you just call me what I thought you did?"

Tidus gulped, his face sweltering like a volcano. He played a slapdash arpeggio on the piano to reflect his horror.

"No, uh- YES- I mean, maybe?" He forced in bated breath as he attempted to play away his embarrassment.

His flustered attempt to get out of it brought a genuine smile to Yuna's face as she cupped his chin. "I think it's cute, _Sunshine._ Where did you come up with it, though?" She asked, fully knowing the answer already.

"I-it came from when we passed by the Moonflow." He swallowed. "I- I really want to go back there someday."

Yuna closed her eyes as she envisioned her plans. "I want to retrace our journey, someday. And when we do, I want us to stop at the Moonflow so you can see the moonlilies you enjoyed so much."

Her eyes fluttered open once again when his impulsive melody wouldn't stop. She reached out and clasped his wrist to stop him, giggling a little as she did.

"And I see you've been busy while I was gone!" she stated with a jump in her voice, observing the instrument's length once again. She centred herself on the bench and looked up at Tidus. "So how long have you been playing piano?"

"Well… I was reminded of it a couple-days ago, but really, I first learnt it when I was a kid." He traced his fingertip across the cold keys - gently enough so that they were silent. "Mom would teach me how to play simple songs with one hand. I remember - they were the only times when we were truly together like that."

His own posture softened then, she noted, but not in any way that seemed positive. His face was glazed with a disheartening shadow and his hands appeared to shake a little.

"But then my old man found out. He laughed. Called me a wuss." He clenched his teeth. He remembered that night so vividly. "And around that same time, my mother just- She just stopped giving me lessons to spend more time with him, cause he was getting sent home earlier every night. I had nobody to play for."

He reached over and took a swig from the flask of water. The cool, pure liquid soothed him. Yuna sat, taut and intent, and he took that as a sign to keep going.

"But I just happened to see this in the temple the other day, and I couldn't help myself. The poor thing was gathering dust," Tidus continued, scrunching up his hand to lightly whack aside a mite of debris. "I'm still rusty, but I can work out the kinks. The vendor told me it can make music spheres too!"

"Oh? How?" she inquired, getting a tad excited.

He flipped a panel upwards to reveal two buttons: one to start recording and one to eject the sphere. He pressed the former and played a little tune as the tubes of spherewater began to churn. After a few seconds he pressed the other button. Mechanical arms within the piano suctioned up the coded water and poured it into a sphere, which plonked down on the side Yuna was sitting on. She was a little startled throughout the whole process, but when she held it to her ear and could hear the looping tune, she was thoroughly impressed.

"It can amplify the spheres too." He reached underneath and pulled out a sphere from a pod, and placed it into the socket in the middle of the piano. Thin, glowing lines spread out radially like wires. "I recorded this one yesterday."

The tune began - a soft, high pitched melody transitioning to a thoughtful, introspective register.

"It's pretty, Tidus!" she whispered, soon finding herself humming the dominant notes.

"The last few nights, when I was trying to compose a song I would just totally space out. I had too much on my mind at once," he admitted, unable to keep himself from watching her sing along. "It's… It's still really hard to take it all in, you know?"

"That we're together?" She gazed up at him with her heart in her eyes. "I know how you feel."

"Not even just that. Just- Spira. All the sights I've seen in it. All the people I've met. The fact that it _exists_. And that we saved it. I'm living in it." Even as he was speaking, his ability to focus seemed lost to the wind. "So I would just sit here and wonder about this world - all that we've been through and what's to come. Then as I was doing that, this tune just sort of happened."

Yuna's eyes fluttered shut and she took in the melody, recalling the struggles and the victories that now seemed the distance of a lifetime. It had all truly begun just those two years ago, when she had finished her summoner training and when they first met - in the same night.

Alongside the playback, Tidus began to record an extra dimension - sequences of low notes to be followed by a flurry of daunting sharps and descents. Her eyes still closed, she began to sway along to the rhythm, each new note complimenting each new reminisce. To her the song carried their story; every little dance of his fingers upon the high keys reflected their fragility and innocence, and the transition into the heavy, complicated symphony of chords indicated their swelling passions - their final battles, and the heartbreak that followed.

The song ended quietly - almost lingering, as if daring to step into and veer off into the unknown. The tightened, silent sustain was broken by the press of a switch and sphereglass clanging against metal. Yuna's eyes opened, only to be locked with Tidus'. After a moment she started clapping with the most sincere grin on her face.

"You're a natural at this!" Yuna cheered, earning a bashful grunt and a cute sight of him ruffling his hair. "You should distribute this song. I think it'll be really popular."

He bent over and took the two sphere recordings into his palms, cradling them next to each other. Its radiant lights were filling the absent spaces with a golden glow. The combined harmonies could be heard just about.

"Is there a way to put spheres together? I don't think they'd work on their own."

"I hear the Al Bhed have been making machines just for that. They have a Spheremerger set up in Luca, so we could go to that when the _Romantique_ 's ready." She sidled over to gently grasp his far shoulder, overcome with the yearn to hold him. "Do you have a name for it?"

"Hm. Good question," he mumbled, clicking his tongue in his deepest thoughts. "Well, I was recalling my memories during it. Memories… Memories of…?"

His head dawdled to meet Yuna's, who was staring up at him curiously. He could feel her gentle, warm breath. He could sense the electrifying, captivating volume from the colours of her eyes.

"Eternity," he whispered, his voice stolen.

"Memories of Eternity?" she said with a teasing intone, giggling wholly.

"Ah, that's just a working title. I'll worry 'bout it later," he insisted in an attempt to wave it off. The jolt of embarrassment in his gut eventually grew to his decision to get off the bench. "Besides, I've been thinking way too much lately!"

She swung her legs over the bench and propelled herself against his backside. A small smile caressed her face as her arms enveloped him. "So I've heard. I think you deserve a break."

Tidus flipped around to catch her in a full embrace, but his sense of smell enticed his head to the kitchen counter. He had prepared a hash with potatoes, corn beef and mince, and had left it to cool down by the window. He had been so caught up in his lover's return that surely it must have gone cold by now. A plan began to formulate.

"Yuna?" He tilted his head down to linger next to her ear. "Fancy a picnic?"

* * *

"Oh goodness!" Yuna gasped as the bundle of quartered deli sandwiches, oozing from the sides with the hash, toppled in her hands. She shifted to catch them, nearly stumbling to the ground in the process.

"Yuna!" Tidus shouted with the hint of a chuckle. "You shouldn't rush! A picnic is supposed to be a time to slow down and relax!"

"I- I know! I just- you know, I wanted to do something special too!" she stammered.

They arrived at the edge of a rocky grove, where Yuna unfurled the decorative blanket. Tidus took off his sandals and dipped them in the pond, watching the grime sift away and break apart.

"I don't mind doing all this, Yuna. Really, I don't."

"I know you don't, Tidus. I'm really thankful- every day that you're here." She paused, leaning against his shoulder. "But you didn't come back, just to wait on me hand and foot- you know?"

"Yuna." Tidus swallowed, his expression turning serious, almost stern. "Haven't you done the same for me as well?"

"Well, not really…"

"Come on, you have to be kidding me!" Tidus groaned. "What were all those meals you've been having me try out? Those evenings in the cove? All the fun we have cutting up together? Dare I bring up…"

He leaned in real close and, as he did so, lowered them both down and into a sitting position.

" _Macalania_?"

"Yes, but…" Yuna's protest trailed off into an awkward silence.

"You've done so much for everyone for so long that you feel guilty the moment anyone does anything for you. Even me."

"I can't help it, sometimes," she admitted, stinging as Tidus uttered the last two words.

"Your willingness to help people is one of my favorite qualities about you, Yuna." Tidus continued. "But you don't owe people anything just because you exist! There's a difference!"

She hummed and uttered a little note of acceptance, bending her head - feeling guilty just for bringing up the subject. She had even nearly apologised for absolutely nothing, but thankfully she caught it and banished it just in time.

"I _want_ to spoil you rotten, Yuna," he stated, a little crooked grin making his words waver. "If you ask me you haven't been given enough credit."

"I- I haven't allowed it of myself." she replied, drawing breath as she closed her eyes.

"These are the days I want to make memories of. The cool breeze, the warm sunlight, the sound of the wind whipping against our shade tree- I guess I learned to appreciate the small things since I got a second chance, you know?"

"I don't think that's how it happened, Tidus." She giggled.

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"I don't know if you realized it, but you were like that then, even on our pilgrimage." Yuna reminisced with the fondest of smiles adorning her face. "It was… nice, you know. It cheered me up when I saw you like that."

Tidus appeared lost in thought as memories of the places on Yuna's journey flooded back; from the Moonflow, to Macalania, even to the revisit of the Zanarkand he knew as he described it to Yuna that fateful night.

' _Zanarkand…_ '

A wistful breath leaped from his throat. It may not be his home anymore - Spira's rendition never was in all actuality - but he still held that ruined city close to him with a special emotion. The pond's water reflected the beige tints of the clouds, as well as the vines. In the mirrored picture they resembled industrial towers swaying in the fog.

"Let's go back to Zanarkand," he suggested with a confident chord. He paused for a second to collect himself. "We'll take our ship there!"

"Zanarkand? I would love to!" Yuna grinned, not allowing a hint of guilt to show on her face. ' _What if he knew what I did to keep that place from becoming a tourist attraction… From my uncle, no less!'_

"All right!" Tidus pumped his fist. ' _Enjoying a day like today, looking forward to what's to come, and I'm so thankful she's here to enjoy it all with me._ '

He bundled a wholebread sandwich into a leaf and offered it to Yuna, who accepted it gratefully. She slowly sank her teeth into the crumbly bread, and then into the strong flavour of the hash. Her eyes lit up upon registering the delicious taste, and began to snack at a faster pace.

"There you go! We didn't make this food for the ants," he joked, leaning back with a content look on his face and snatching up one of the disproportionately large ones.

His bare toes waddled in the water, creating ripples which streamed towards the spot of concentrated sunshine. Waves of light broke through the thick, black foliage. Yuna curled up into his side, whispering those three blissful words intended for him only.

' _These are the days that I will cherish._ '


	12. Dart

**Chapter XI**

* * *

The Guado, recently reestablished in the cave system that bore their name, had proven to be as stubborn and prudish as ever. The entrance to the Farplane remained heavily guarded, and each and every living being seeking to enter its hallowed space was rebuffed full stop.

"You know if it wasn't for Yuna, you all would have been wiped from existence." The diminutive Al Bhed grumbled as his entourage made their exit from Guadosalam.

"Hey, don't let it get to you, okay? We were pretty much expecting this."

"Gippal, I need to do my-"

"We still have six points of entry, and none of them are as well guarded as this one is."

"Oh… that's right."

"I know Bevelle is still wide open. Vegnagun ripped a wide chasm into it. So going through that entry would give us the most likely path to it."

"Brother mapped out some routes for Yuna before tackling Vegnagun, so if I can patch myself into the Celsius we should be able to nab them."

"Ha, I knew you were a genius! So once we're in, where do we begin?"

"...I'm just a kid."

* * *

Using an interceptor, the Al Bhed were able to track down and capture the Celsius with a bogus request. The crew that Shinra once knew had been replaced with similar rows of faces, all in uniform and serving their travellers in set routines.

Being of the quiet and stumpy physique, he snuck into the cabin and began to rummage around for the mappings that Brother had conveniently forgotten about. Upon escaping he had almost nicked a waitress' ankle with the jutting part of his mask, but apart from that he fled without so much as a lasting shadow.

They neglected to let Baralai know of their 'visit' to the temple's underground; Gippal knew how obsessively protective he was of what used to be Vegnagun's chamber. If he had tried to sustain _Yuna_ for trespassing, Gippal wasn't sure he wanted to know what punishment the Praetor would have for _him_.

"Incredible. The energy readings I'm getting are off the charts, and I thought they were unfathomable just from the readings I got from the Celsius!" the boy exclaimed, one of the rare moments he allowed his voice to wander from deadpan.

"The Farplane is one heck of a place, kid." And judging from Shinra's deviation from his normal behavior, Gippal began to worry that the Farplane might be too much for him.

He pulled out the anti-pyrefly suit he had specifically fashioned for Shinra's size. It was an armor set clad head to toe with pure copper, with gold-trimmed boots for gravity maintainence. He turned to the rest of the soldiers, who were bearing the same armor set save for a different number branded on the platebodies.

"All right, men!" Gippal barked, pausing to let Shinra wriggle into the suit. "Our objective is to locate the direct path to Vegnagun. This'll not be a one-day task. This could take weeks to complete. Even months. Anybody who is _not_ prepared for heavy combat or possible pyrefly poisoning, hand over your weapon and join my side."

A few of them relented and trudged across, silent and shameful. The rest of them, totalling to a little more than a dozen, stood taut and prideful. Gippal cleared his throat and pivoted to the men behind him.

"The rest of you will help me create a camp in those towers over yonder." He stuck his arm out to the other side of the radial structure. "Let's see- Number Seven and Four, unload the rations in the tower over there. Number Eleven has watch duty for any of those Yevonites."

Shinra struggled against the stiff metal, so he opted to crouch down to get a good look at the blackened abyss that fell away in front of him. Sparkles of wailing pyreflies danced against the void, shedding light on the jutting metal that the superweapon left behind in its wake. One of them rose up to him, casting a pastel glow that glistened on his reflective armor.

"Have you ever been in there, Shinra?" Number Five asked, standing just beside him and twirling his blade.

"Nope. I've heard it's…" ' _Really pretty._ '

"Really scary?" the man assumed, grunting when he didn't get a response. "I think it is for all of us. I've heard no living Al Bhed's ever gone into the Farplane. They say it's taboo."

"Common sense, more like!" Number Ten guffawed, rousing the other soldiers' bafflement. "My other friends told me you can _see_ ghosts in there! How are we gonna fight off ghosts?"

"Ghosts as in _ghosts_ , or ghosts as in fiends?" Number Five questioned. "I wonder, if we're going into the actual Farplane, can we talk to the dead? Or would they just be pyreflies?"

Shinra pulled back, his senses dying away so that only his hearing remained. Would there really be fiends in the Farplane - that he could interact with? Would it even be possible to extract them from the afterlife's grasp? And if he could, would their pyreflies' properties be different? Would they react differently to the presence of the living?

' _I wonder if they can be reverted back to their human form…_ ' Shinra felt his own secret smile. His eyes held a glint of curiosity. ' _Wouldn't that be something?_ '

* * *

"Whew! How much food are we going to need?" Tidus huffed as he carried what felt like was the thousandth box of prepared food onto the _Romantique._

"Can't adventure on an empty stomach, eh?" Wakka bellowed from behind as he hauled another box of goods aboard. Inside, Lulu tended to the material artifacts, and Yuna focused on installing the Garment Grids and dresspheres into the spare room.

"What is it with you and food?" Tidus groaned.

"'Ey, don't give me that, I been smellin' what you're cookin'."

"Tidus, we can eat it on our own time, okay?" Yuna stuck her head out to calm him down, sensing Tidus's patience with Wakka's love affair with food was running out.

"The ship is about ready to set sail, assuming you two don't sink the damn thing over food." Lulu glared at the two men.

Tidus shifted his gaze to the floor, feeling so much heat in his cheeks that they actually physically hurt. "Look, I'm sorry Wakka."

"Ey, don't mention it, alright?" Wakka outstretched his hand, which Tidus grasped in a firm handshake.

Yuna affixed the last of the Garment Grids to a panel in the back of the spare room. "If I'm not mistaken, I think we're ready?"

"Think so, Yuna? You don't sound so sure." Lulu chastised. "You don't go out until you know you're ready. Go over the checklist one last time."

"Right…" Yuna darted into the cabin, fumbling and dropping important documents along the way. "Checklist-checklist-checklist… where is it?"

"Goodness, you really need to have it together better than this!"

"I could have sworn it was right here!" Yuna whimpered, frantically looking through every nook and cranny - even in the places she would definitely _not_ stash such an important item in. "Tidus, have you seen the checklist?"

"Yeah! I plastered it on the cabin outside." And with those words the ship was submerged in an uncomfortable silence. His head lolled to the side. "Didn't you see it? I thought it'd be handier for you."

"...Oh," Yuna uttered in defeat, the air around her suddenly sweltering. She could see Lulu bunching up her fists and taking long, deep breaths.

' _I've screwed up, haven't I?_ ' Tidus winced with a heavy lump in his throat. He began making enveloping gestures around Yuna and guiding her to the lounge, trying to avoid the burning anger emitting from Lulu's leer. "Look- We've been at this all morning. You should take a load off. I'll deal with the checklist - I can rhyme it off the top of my head!"

She raised an eyebrow upon settling down on the loveseat. "And why shouldn't _you_ take a rest?"

"I swear I'll be done in a few minutes!"

And just like that, before Yuna could even get a word out he had sprung down the hallway with a giddy leap. She swore she could hear him cheering on the deck. She let the bafflement run down her face and reached over to the book pile on the counter.

"And I thought my mood swings were bad," she joked to herself, her head rolling back to the armrest as she began to flip back and forth through the novel. ' _But that's my Tidus. He just can't sit still!_ '

All the fretting and bickering and quintuple-checking were finally over and done with. The _Romantique_ was finally ready for her maiden voyage. All of Besaid was invited to the dock to see off their two heroes. Some waved, some cried, and the odd few hollered and tossed flower bouquets at their High Summoner.

Yuna caught one of them, her face almost as pink as the hibiscus in front of her. Tidus finally managed to unfurl the sail and slid down one of the support nets. He gave their crowd a hearty farewell before rushing inside to tune the sphere electronics.

The ship gave out a rather hefty jolt, and Yuna quickly fumbled to safety. They trailed out into the open blue, leaving a trickling wake of flower petals. One by one their audience dispersed until only Wakka and Lulu remained.

"So… that's them, then," Lulu mumbled softly, watching the ship dip below the horizon. She felt a rare twinge of hurt in her chest - as if this was the last time she would ever see them. "I hope they have a good time."

"'Ey, Lu?" Wakka hunched forward to get a good glimpse at his wife's eyes. He gave her a goofy grin. "D'you think they'll bring back a knot to tie?"

She blinked just once, her face set in stone. "It's much too early for them, Wakka."

"Ah- I dunno. I was- Well, they seem pretty deep in already, I think." His stammering kept devolving until he got her mutual memo to just keep silent. ' _We didn't really take our sweet time either._ '

The silence kept droning on. Wakka's insides kept sinking and his face was heating up a degree a second. His dejected sigh - for some reason - roused Lulu's attention. It took him a second to even realise that it _was_ Lulu; her face was painted with _mischief_ of all possibilities.

"Let's make a bet."

"Uh… Go on," he stuttered, knowing full-well how deformed his face must have looked right now.

"If your prediction is correct, you win. You can get me to do one thing and that's whatever it is you want it to be. I'll comply, no matter what."

"Really?" he smarmed, turning his head away to execute a quiet, sarcastic laugh. "I'll 'ave to think that over!"

Lulu grinned evilly and began to pace around. "But hear this, Wakka. If they happen to turn out a bit more _sensible_ ," She paused. Her magic was misting the air around them. "then you will have to babysit _and_ run my store at the same time. For a week."

"Gods, no…" His face dropped. His blood turned to sludge. ' _I'd rather take on Sin again!_ '

"You gave me the opportunity and I took it," she said cheekily, strutting past him. She pinched her dress as she walked out onto the sand. "Maybe this'll teach you to watch your words, hm?"

Wakka turned back to the ocean and clenched his palm around his forehead. He could feel the strong, fast pulse complementing the anguish of his predicament. A plunge into the cool, glimmering liquid below him sounded very appealing right now.

"You kids have a great time, ya hear?" he finally admitted, feeling a little daft for his speed. He shut his eyes and teetered on the edge of the wood. ' _But you two better pull through, or I'm retiring early!_ '

* * *

The rays of dawn pierced the frosty mist of the saltwater, highlighting the raised patches of land that they had decided to dock beside for the remainder of the night. From beyond the horizon, Luca's myriad of lights were snuffed out one by one. The land was coated in a dull pink-lavender, bracing for the contrast of wild amber that was soon to follow.

Yuna stumbled out of bed before she could let the blood get flowing properly. She staggered back down and gazed upon her sleeping lover, who was bundled up and twisted a little due to his many heavy hours of watch duty. She smiled, quietly pulled the quilt up and around him and set off to prepare for the last stretch.

It was an hour later when all the dynamics were up and running, and the compass readjusted for the _Romantique_ 's streamlined course. She had prepared a light breakfast of just two veggie salads; she had bigger plans for when they would arrive in the city together - the first in a long, long while.

With the table prepared she pattered down to their bedroom door. She knocked - to no response. As quietly as she could she slid it aside and crept in, mindful of the creaky spots.

Her breath was stolen by the sight before her.

The sun's mighty morn was slipping between the curtains, bouncing off the far side of Tidus' resting form. It highlighted the warm colours of his skin and hair, making them glow radiantly. His arms clung so tightly to the comfort of the quilt, his lips curled upwards and his face in a pure state of content. He looked so, so peaceful.

She could have said something, or made a noise, but she couldn't. She couldn't bring herself to disturb such beauty so abruptly. Instead she swept over to her side of the bed, soon finding her fingers sifting through the many soft layers of his hair. She had fumbled with them many times during their passionate nights, with the want - the need - to explore his every being. The depths of his roots held a special kind of heat, gracing only her fingertips.

Before long her self-control had slipped, and her palms were running along the hairs to their own accord. The sheer physicality caused Tidus to stir and breathe a sleepy grunt. His eyes opened to reveal pairs of deep blue. The offset of colour caused Yuna to freeze, and her limbs to turn to lead under the captivation.

"Mornin'," he mumbled, tilting his head back to relish in the feeling of her hands. His honesty was driving her heart to the melting point.

"I-I'm sorry!" Yuna stammered, overcome with sheer embarrassment. "I didn't mean to wake you!"

"You did a fine job of it regardless," Tidus teased, stifling a yawn. Clearly she had started her day, but it didn't matter. Tidus grabbed her arm and yanked her back into bed in a heap. "We don't have to be in a rush, do we?"

"No, no!" Yuna shook her head briskly as she rested against Tidus. "But we don't have all day, either."

 _Ba-bump...ba-bump...ba-bump...ba-bump..._

"That's a shame," he whispered with a collected breath. "I could just lay like this forever with you."

 _ **Ba**_ _-bump-_ _ **ba**_ _-bump-_ _ **ba**_ _-bump-_ _ **ba**_ _-bump-_

She wanted to retort sharply - rattle off the list of things they had planned for today - but that heartbeat lulled Yuna into a trance as she lay across his chest, her finger absent-mindedly tracing his abs. ' _Thank the fayth he's alive…'_

Tidus let out an amused chuckle as he ran his fingers through her hair. "What's on your mind, Yuna?"

"Oh!" Being lost in thought would have been an exaggeration, but amidst the carefree bliss, one thought finally prevailed.

"Is this life?"

Tidus raised an eyebrow, wracking his brain for a safe answer in the uncertainty of what Yuna meant. "Well, there are many paths to choose, and this is what we've decided on."

"I mean…" Yuna sighed. "Is this what I almost gave up? Moments like this? Spending forever with you?"

' _Forever?'_

Tidus audibly hitched his breath at the dichotomy encased in Yuna's musings. Even after all this time his body was naturally terrible at concealing the truth; Yuna could hear his heartbeat leaping at an irregular rhythm.

"Tidus?" she called him, lifting her head to show off her smirk. "What's on your mind now?"

"Nothing," he blurted a little too quickly, forcing his hands to stop twiddling around. "Nothing at all."

Her raised eyebrow was chock-full of amusement. ' _If he thinks he can lie to me, then it must be good._ '

Come to think of it, what _was_ he thinking about? Tidus couldn't recall that thought, only that it rose for that brief window of infatuation. It was lingering in there - somewhere - but the longer he spent trying to translate it into English, the heavier the churning feeling in his gut became. He decided to drop it, praying inwardly that Yuna wouldn't persist.

"Is it just me or is it getting hot in here?" Okay. Maybe that wasn't the best choice of words considering the situation, but he honestly just wanted to move on. "I'm getting a little cramped."

"Cramped?" Yuna couldn't quite hide a wry smirk, thinking of the myriads of ways she could direct this conversation. After careful deliberation she chose the most prudent option. "Speaking of cramped, let's get going before our day gets a bit too cramped for time."

"Right!" Tidus breathed, audibly relieved to be out of the mental squeeze that Yuna had put him in. "So what do we have planned for today?"

"We'll discuss it when we dock in Luca," she concluded, giving him a small smile and comically heaving him off the bed. "And I made breakfast. I don't want us walking around with salad in our mouths. Think of our images!"

"All right, all right!" he gave out with a laugh, skipping into the dining room with his hands up. "Tell you what: I'll make up for sleeping in. I'll get us docked faster than lightning."

Her eyes were glued to the far window. She crossed the room and peered out through the glass. Luca's iconic weather balloons were dangling in the air, and the gleaming marble of the city's foundation had come into sight. The visitors were hollering at their vessel, and the ferryman of the docks was preparing the hitch for them.

"I don't think you need to. We're already here." She reeled back from the window with bulging eyes, only to see Tidus was already waving back at them with a friendly grin.

* * *

They settled on a sleepy little cafe a couple of blocks from the town square, removed from the bustle of the main strip. Fearful of the very likely possibility that they could get pestered, Yuna hastily requested a private booth for them.

A peaceful tune filled the atmosphere, and on the spherevision were Jimma and Bobba, offering up (not so) impartial analyses of the upcoming weekend's blitzball matches. Tidus had to remind himself that he no longer was part of the Besaid Aurochs, or the Zanarkand Abes for that matter.

"They sure do like to yap, don't they?" he grumbled, struggling to keep his focus on the screen.

"They need something to talk about," she remarked, scanning the menu for what sounded the tastiest. "I hear they get paid for every word."

"At least the one in Zanarkand knew when to keep quiet. And he gave everyone a fair shake."

"I suppose having the powerhouse in your city makes you a bit of a homer. But they gave you props when you all won the Crystal Cup a few years ago!"

He grinned and waved off the comment bashfully. Yuna turned back to the sheet of paper, skimming over it multiple times as she always did. It took her a few tries to register the certain starter at the very top, but when she did-

"Duck soup!" her reflexes cried out before she could stop them. Tidus' face twisted into one of pure confusion.

"Uh…" He was very thankful that they were in a separate room. "What?"

She flushed a deep red in trying to explain herself, but failed miserably in trying to save face. Finally giving in, she huffed nervously and jotted the item down on her order slip, along with some coffee. Giggling behind his wrist, Tidus ordered the 'Skewer Surprise' and a bottle of water to go.

They made conversation as they waited for the moment they could finally fill their stomachs. Some time later Tidus was absent-mindedly staring out of the window when the edge of a queue filed beneath it. He desperately tried not to snoop, but families and collectors held volumes of spheres - differing in colours and sizes. He audibly exclaimed when a colossal sphere was being wheeled down the road in the opposite direction, heralded by a wealthy-looking man and several Lucan guards.

"Yuna!" he waved her over frantically, pointing out the behemoth of a sphere as it crossed their line of sight. "What in the world could possibly be on that thing?"

"My goodness! It's so big!" Yuna gasped as she covered her mouth in exasperation. She couldn't get a good enough angle to see which avenue it was heading down. "Imagine a sphere hunter finding one of those! They wouldn't know what to do with it."

Tidus hummed, still taken aback by the spectacle. He went to the other side of the window to watch the quirky machine guzzling away at the end of the route, hiding them both with the dark drape.

"So, this Spheremerger thing. Is it usually this busy on Mondays?" he asked.

"It'll be busy for a while. Until recently they shut it down due to the sphere hunting craze," she explained, watched the blips scale the scaffolding to insert their spheres into the funnel. "Ever since the spherewater spring died, the factions have been trying to preserve how much is used by condensing them all, and have been trying to find new sources."

"Oh…" He really couldn't comprehend it enough to say anything else. He shuffled his rucksack to his front and peered at his two music spheres inside. "I gotta be careful, then."

"If the spherewater runs out then we're really in trouble," she quipped, a mixture of mockery and genuine concern flashing across her eyes. "I can imagine it now. A dystopian future - a war where we're robbing people of each other's spheres for our own fortunes."

"Sounds like a sphere hunter's dream come true," he joked, his cheeks bloating up. "I bet they'll find another source somewhere. Don't worry about it!"

"I hope so. I should have more faith in Spira than that. War should be the last thing on the mind of any Spiran."

She focussed her attention on the reflective glass of the vase and sighed deeply. Even after all these months the harsh words that spilled from Baralai's mouth rang clear. It seemed that in that moment the faction leaders had broken apart each other once again, even after their vows; she had even felt some resemblance to it during her expedition of Iutycyr. She just hoped that, if anything, Tidus wouldn't be the catalyst to something far more gruesome.

Yuna lifted her head with the intent to survey. She caught a glimpse of guilt settled deep into his expression, but that soon evaporated when a cacophony of chattering was offset by the waitress opening the door. She left them with their meals. She stared at Yuna for a moment until her eyes began to glimmer with disbelief, but she recollected herself and staggered out of the room.

"That disguise isn't working out for you too well, huh?" he quipped with a bemused smile. He struggled to maintain it when he looked down at the meaty globules that were leaking onto the plate. ' _What… what kinda meat is this?_ '

"It's my eyes. I swear it is," she muttered with embarrassed annoyance. Everybody could recognise 'Yuna the Summoner' and 'Yuna the Gunner,' so naturally she theorised that by wearing one of her other dresspheres - in this case the Warrior - she could slip under the radar. But she wasn't fooling anybody. "Or maybe it's the ponytail."

"Hey, I don't think it's something you can help. Back in Zanarkand I was swamped by the cameras no matter what I wore. I had to learn to live with it."

He got to thinking over her demeanour as he dissected the skewers for further inspection. Truth be told, up until now he thought her ponytail was an extension. Had she really grown her hair out that much?

"Honestly, this ponytail takes so much work to manage! Look at this! I have to braid it again every other time or else it'll get matted. Not to mention how far I have to reach down! I've been thinking of cutting it off."

"Wha- Cut it off?" he blanched. "But, your hair…"

"It'll grow back," she said, releasing it and quickly digging into her soup before it started to get cold. "Why? Do you like it this long?"

"W-well, if you really don't like it then I won't stop you." A gentle image flew past his mind's eye: A thick, hazel veil breezing in the wind, with her smiling back at him with plump cheeks and those special eyes of hers. "But…"

"Maybe I'll just get rid of the braid, then. I _have_ been growing it out for two years," she mused with an all-too-knowing grin. Her pupils fell from his face and focussed on his fragmented course. "How's the food taste?"

"Oh. It's, uh… to be honest? Really dry." Crumbly, squelchy and very tough too. It was like biting down on jellified tree bark. "But it's nice, I guess? How's your soup?"

"I can feel it running down my throat. And my stomach." She paused to stare at the liquid, which was swamping the edges of the bowl with every slight disturbance. "It's very mild as well, and watery. I doubt it's really going to fill me up."

An idea came into Tidus' head then. He pushed his plate towards her own. "If yours is too wet and mine is too dry, then let's combine them both!"

A few exchanges later and they ended up with skewered meat dipped in duck soup. It was a _strange_ combination to say the least, but it actually worked out very well for their taste buds. Instead of the flaws clashing to create something horrendous, they cancelled each other out and flourished with what they had going for them.

Thoroughly satisfied, Tidus and Yuna paid and wandered out onto the street again. She pulled him into a detour from the Spheremerger queue and down a road that was unfamiliar to them; colourful garlands were strung between terraces, landmarked by the occasional bush or battered shop sign. However she was fairly confident in herself, wherever she was dragging them off to.

"I was thinking we could go catch a movie at the Sphere Theatre," she explained, twisting around to catch both of his hands. "Now that we have bigger spheres we can have longer movies. Some of them are even half an hour long!"

"Really?" He chuckled. It was quite adorable hearing her enthusiasm over something so substandard to him. "Then let's get moving! I wonder what kinda films Spira's into."

So this was what Spiran dates were like, he thought with an endearing fondness. Once again memories of Zanarkand came flooding back as they frequently did in recent times. He had a lot of his 'first dates' with many girls - mostly because he felt like he wasn't even needed with how enamored they were with their devices and the high-end restaurants. But Yuna - Yuna was so eager to talk to him, and he to her. It all felt so natural and flat-out enjoyable, and the quiet alleyway romanced with moist stone and radiant skies served to highlight that.

They had ascended a few blocks when Tidus slowly came to a halt. There, in the slithering nook of the apartments, stood a wooden storefront with decals of flower bouquets. It looked like Yuna didn't know it was there; even she would be able to figure out his plans otherwise. But he decided to take her obliviousness in giddy stride.

"Hey, Yuna. Mind if you head on without me for just a bit?" he requested of her with a glowering expression. "I think I'll have a nosey around."

"Um… Okay," she accepted, blinking twice. "Just remember that the theatre has that giant, pointy roof. I'll be waiting outside just in case."

To be quite frank, he didn't think at all that that would work. The good news was that it didn't ruin the little surprise he had planned. He waited until Yuna rounded the corner (which took quite a bit of time since she took a liking to gazing at him), and then headed down to the hidden shop.

Hey. What's a date without flowers?

* * *

"Number twenty-seven, right? That will be two-hundred gil."

"Here ya go," the young, able-bodied man chimed, palming two coins into the lady's. He took the clusters of white roses bunched together by a frilly velvet wrapping. "Hm. How much for a red bow?"

"First-time buyers get one free." The lady couldn't quite reach the rack in her old and frail age, so the man helped her without an offer. She giggled briefly when he let her wrap it around the bouquet. "I hope it's okay to say this, but your loved one is quite lucky."

"I hope Yu- I mean, uh, you bet! Wait, that came out wrong-"

His sentence broke apart when he heard a thudding sound. It seemed to have come from the jungle of houseplants in the corner. He was beginning to sneak up on the perpetrator when the lady pulled him back.

"That's just another customer. He's taking his sweet time though." She lowered her voice for that last part. She playfully shoved him towards the entrance and planted the bouquet in his hands. "Go, and don't chicken out! Oh, also - may I please have your name for the ledger?"

"It's Tidus, Ma'am." He offered her a heartwarming smile. "I'll definitely be coming back here!"

The silver bell sounded as Tidus made his exit. He, the 'customer,' could hear the lady giggling to herself as she returned to her post. He waited a few seconds, deathly silent from within the houseplants, and made a tricky maneuver from the greenery to the ascending ladder.

Bless the little lady and her elderly ways; clearly her ears were not what they used to be. He trespassed in the eaves and peeped through the slits in the rotting wood, making sure he wasn't leaving anything behind. A floral aroma swept by when he entered the quaint bedroom. Within there he allowed his rapidly-beating heart some oxygen before taking the ladder to the rooftops.

Blond hair. White and pink bouquet. He had to revise that phrase over and over as he loaded his weapon and tracked down his target. His briefing, handed down from the man himself, stated that he was to use a single paralysis dart and nothing else. He was promised a promotion to the high ranks if he could bring in the one who called himself 'Tidus'.

He never thought much of the mission; he was competing with dozens to grosses of other soldiers, and surely an intern like him would never possess the prowess and willpower to track down a specific bounty. Yet here he was. The grand prize was within reach. It drove his head hazy and his hands to shake.

He stood crouched on the optimal rooftop. 'Tidus' was in plain sight and none the wiser. Even still, being human, his subconscious swarmed him and begged him not to pull the trigger. The weeks of lectures and fear-mongering rose to the front of his mind, explaining that whom he laid his eyes on was a monster hell-bent on world destruction. But the little voice in his own head pushed back. His target was squeezing the bouquet, dandering along with a little curl in his lips and a curve in his step. He looked so _innocent._

But who was he, a soldier, to question his authorities of higher intelligence? The two mental forces clashed and maimed and ripped each other apart. Until, finally - that burst of fear that erupted when the young man ran up the slope…

made him shoot.

The silencer applied to the gun only amped up the shock of the revelation. The dart pierced the side of his bare shoulder. Every movement within him ceased - the soldier was uncertain if it was from fear or defeat, or if it had even hit him at all.

The paralysing poison slowly worked its way down his system. The soldier could see every infected limb being locked into stasis. The bouquet slipped out of his frozen hands and rolled down the slope. It slowly and painfully seeped into his lower legs, and he couldn't fight it anymore. He collapsed against the upwards slant as slowly as he could.

The soldier leapt off the roof and approached his target as quickly as he could, keeping his eye out for any witnesses. He bent down to his side and shifted him onto his back. One side of his face was scratched due to the impact. He was trying with the rest of his might to breathe. Most of all - his eyes. They held desperation, confusion… terror.

" _Why_?" Tidus croaked, and he stiffened within his armour.

He was far from the cheerful boy he saw just a few minutes ago. The soldier's pulsating chest was choked out by his straps, and finally, he spoke.

"Forgive me. It's not you," he whimpered, adjusting the helmet to cover more of his face. "It was the Meyvn's orders."


	13. Sanctuary

**Chapter XII**

* * *

"Boss! Your orders?" The crackling transmission made the blonde woman want to claw her own ear off and scream from the rooftops, but no. This couldn't do. They were _professionals_ after all.

"Continue!" ' _That tone, I have to watch it!'_ "...as before, until I give the all-clear!" For a heist such as this, there would be only one chance. They had to get it right.

Leblanc scanned the horizon, observing security to be comically lax for such a valuable item. ' _Too easy if you ask me.'_

She turned her gaze to the streets, finding little to be concerned about, when a pedestrian caught her eye. He traversed the street seemingly on his merry way, with a bouquet of roses in his hands. She couldn't discern much, but judging from his golden skin, his tall, athletic frame and his blonde locks, whoever those roses were for sure was lucky.

"Uh, Boss?" Ormi tapped Leblanc on the shoulder, then pointed to a nearby rooftop. There sat someone with a gun, inexplicably not aimed at the trio.

"What's that chump up to?" Logos chided between clenched teeth.

"I don't know!" Leblanc whispered harshly.

Suddenly, a faint _thwip_ escaped the weapon, firing into the street below. Much to Leblanc's horror, the young man she casually observed mere moments before fell to the pavement in a heap.

The last thought in her mind was to call the mission off.

Their boss threw herself forward, instinct taking over. Logos and Ormi chased clumsily behind with a prayer that they could get to her in time. They hopped down the jutting platforms of the street balconies. Leblanc and Logos landed flawlessly, but Ormi's heavy armor dragged him to his painful downfall. Both the delay and the ruckus they caused made them lose their race to the soldier.

They trampled towards the soldier with a trifle of embarrassment, who was kneeling and applying bandages to the man's puncture. As if on cue he holstered him over his shoulder and turned to stare down his challengers. He crooked his head to the side and giggled a bit upon the peculiar sight.

"Not so fast, little boy!" Leblanc declared, dramatically gesturing to her two cronies. Her bladed fan whipped up and down teasingly. "No injustice gets away from the eye of the Leblanc Syndicate!"

"Yeah!" Logos and Ormi cheered - the former with significantly less emotion.

The longer they had their weapons brandished, the more ridiculous the situation was to the soldier. He just grunted nonchalantly and used the awkward moment to throw a smoke bomb down the slope.

"I think that what's the guards are for," he remarked cheekily before fleeing down one of the junctions, covering Tidus' mouth just in case.

The thick haze dissolved in snake-like wisps. Logos and Ormi were still sputtering smoke from their throats, but Leblanc stood taut and silence. The base of her fan cracked under the force of her fist. Her face was blotched with wrinkles and darkened cheeks.

With her fingers curled up into claws, she reached for her transmitter and dialed it.

* * *

"Drop everything."

"Huh? But, Boss-"

"No excuses! There's a kidnapper on the loose! I need your posse and as many people as possible to surround the perimeters - ASAP!"

A wince teetered on his clenched teeth, and the connection cut out abruptly. He looked over to the masquerading heist he was in charge of; they weren't that far away from the syndicate vessel, and that fool of a curator was still bragging about his ties to the Syndicate.

To them it didn't make much sense to clump gallons of valuable sphere data together; such a juicy haul was just begging to be stolen back by the sphere hunters they betrayed in the first place. But now the conductor's priorities were divided and duelling with each other. On one hand was the prize they were so close to procuring, but when their boss issued an order it was imperative that they follow it, lest they get fired. Or worse.

"As you wish…" he clamped down on the transmitter with excessive force, before signaling a few of his compatriots into a nearby alleyway, awaiting further instruction.

"What? How dare you bail on me!" the curator bellowed to the goons in pursuit. "This sphere isn't going to move on its own!"

"Quiet," a goon hissed at him, pulling him back with a fierce grip. "There's been a change of plan and we'll just have to wait."

"Tell your boss that I refuse to work with her if she's this scatterbrained." He harrumphed to hammer the point home. "For all I know, my paycheque is at the bottom of her list."

The crew was reassigned to the northern square, lying in wait at the stairwell to the northern platform leading up to the Mi'ihen Highroad. Such a conspicuous place should hardly have been the route for someone carrying out the act of kidnapping, if the perp was even leaving the city at all.

The kidnapper emerged from the suburbs, complete with a ragdoll slumped over his shoulder. His heart was thumping against his ribs. Even in the outer regions swarms of potential witnesses littered the streets. One wrong step and he could find himself slumped on the concrete, battered and detained before he could even explain himself.

He had to be very, very cautious.

His aim was to get to the Mi'ihen Highroad and take the hovercraft to the Youth League headquarters, where he could present his bounty. Before starting towards the stairwell he noticed some anonymities, wearing green and garishly pink suits, stationed all around the platforms.

"Great. Guards. _Now_ what?"

Tidus moaned and wriggled his head about, trying to rid himself of the dizzy spell from the bloodstream cascading into his skull. He couldn't feel or move any body part below his neck, save for an itching numbness in his joints. He stared dead-on at the soldier's shadow as he spoke.

"This Leblanc Syndicate… 's not very helpful, are they?"

"Always just thought they were a travelling carnival. But now there's a bigger problem at hand."

"Can I take a look?"

He sunk into the shadows and held Tidus upright with a surprising carefulness, but still covering his mouth. He surveyed the situation and devised a plan in his head. That balcony reminded him of a certain promise he made.

He tried to beckon the soldier over with a neck motion, which succeeded.

"I have an idea," he muttered lowly with the essence of mischief about him. "Get their attention with a really loud finger whistle."

"Nice try," the soldier blurted with a scoff.

"No, I'm serious! If you do it from here it'll give you time to run away. And if you make a roundabout at, say… where the Sphere Theater is, you'll have enough time to get up there."

"You're just trying to screw me over. Why would you help me?" he sighed pitifully. "I've ruined you."

"I want to get healed up, feel my arms and legs and get them working before I die," he admitted with a harsh tone. "Now are you gonna do something or just stand here all day?"

"But-"

"Look! You're armored and they don't even have guns! Take a risk!"

Having enough, the soldier slapped his hand over his captive's mouth. A few pairs of eyes wandered over to the alleyway from the balconies. He tossed a stone around the corner, snaked the heel of the road and blew a shrill whistle.

The distracted goons whipped around to the source to find a stack of bodies heaving down the path. With no hesitation they leapt off the railing - some of them spraining their ankles - leaving the remaining ones to chase after them with flailing daggers.

In his moment of hysteria, Luca had transformed from a harbour town into a glorified maze. Now that he had gotten a taste of how loudmouthed his captive could get, he couldn't allow himself to let the boy speak. With no strategy of his own, he just had to trust in him.

Each passing tile was a point of no return. Stander-bys were pushed to the wayside by the soldier and the clacking footprints hot on his trail. He weaved in and out of the stone archways. Left foot. Thud. Right foot. Repeat. He feared for drowning in his own sweat as the sweltering sun bore into the streets.

The silhouette of the Sphere Theatre apparated in his blurred vision. Feeling his aching lungs about to collapse, he dove behind it and they both fell to the ground. Harsh ghosts of gasps and wheezing squeezed out of his soul.

Shaking palms reached for his gun while Tidus lay slumped against the wall. After a moment the greatest smirk crept onto his face. The soldier scowled, his tendons bracing in fury.

"What're you smilin' at?" he spat in frustration. The boy wasn't even looking at him! His pulsating heart wrung out all but the sound of his own voice. "Don't you ignore me! You're the reason-"

"You came running."

A blunt, powerful force coursed through the exposed back of his head, shutting down all his senses as his body went numb. He couldn't feel or even comprehend his descent onto the harsh concrete. His head throbbed with pain as the scene in front of him unfolded. A woman in battle armor knelt to Tidus' side, sheathing her blade and fretting over him.

"Sorry, Yuna. Can't move at the moment," he remarked strangely as she clasped his arm. "I'm paralysed."

"Who… Did this man do this to you?!"

When he didn't answer, the woman turned to him to curse him with a glare. His heart froze for a split second as cold struck him. That name. That voice. Those eyes. When it all finally dawned upon him, he could see his future withering away. It was too late to explain himself.

"I'm going to get the authorities," Yuna reassured Tidus, calling for help as she held him in a full embrace. Separate armies of footprints came rushing in from both directions.

The soldier's blank stare went nowhere.

* * *

"Also coming up this weekend will be the debut of the Goers' new minor league. They're heading into the stadium right now. Here's hoping they'll keep Luca's blitzball blood running-"

"Bobba, wait! I just got a report from Shelinda- There's been an attempted kidnapping and assault!"

"What?! Well, get right to the scene then!"

All over the town, public and private spherevisions flickered to show the shadowed back of the Sphere Theatre, focussing on the event that had just unfolded. Questions towards a young woman and an immobilised man were being rattled left and right from guards, while an unconscious soldier in Youth League armor was being investigated.

"Wha-! That's Lady Yuna!" Jimma yelled, his microphone spitting white noise. "And- Huh? That man- What on Spira's going on?"

His calamity rubbed off on the civilians whose eyes were glued to the screens. The central cafe was particularly struck; all services within halted as the congregation chattered away with the news scoop.

"Lady Yuna's been gone for ages."

"Who's that blond guy she's holding onto?"

"Her boyfriend! Oooh!"

"Always knew that Youth League bunch were crooks."

The guards got to work on cleaning up the scene. A couple of them lifted Tidus by the limbs and started carrying him down the street, Yuna not daring to linger away from his side. They pushed eager news anchors away as they came careening down, and he was eventually checked into a homely ward at the local hospital.

Yuna stayed by his side until nightfall. She wanted nothing more than to take him home right then and there, but doctor's orders were orders. With the poison now officially out of his system, she surmised a well-placed Curaga spell would rid him of his numbness, but with the silencing fog in the air, it wouldn't happen.

' _Something about the risks of dangerous magic and safety procedures. Such is progress.'_

Tidus wheezed as he slowly emerged from a deep slumber. She caught his head in her hands as he writhed about.

"Tidus…"

"Hey…" He took a deep breath after having calmed down. "Just had a bad dream. Gotta wonder what was in that dart."

"Dart?"

"Yeah. I got shot out of nowhere." He gulped and looked straight up at Yuna, who was sitting on his bed. He wished he had the ability to feel her warmth right now. "I didn't have a chance to get my Grid out."

His quickening pulse set off a small, yet shrill alarm on the bedside table. Hearing his anguished groans, Yuna quickly reached over and slammed down on it, shutting it off.

"And even if I did, what was I gonna do? Knock him out and leave him lying there?"

"Well, that's kind of what I did," she mumbled, feeling pangs of guilt and frustration.

All she wanted was a nice day out with her lover - to get him reacquainted with the sight of Spira, and to quell his underlying fears of the factions' footprints. But now? It was proven that he was just as much of a target as months prior.

She felt like it would never end. And she hated herself for it. Not even her title as the High Summoner (though she would never take advantage of it) could protect Tidus from such heinous actions. In fact it only drew more attention to their case.

A nurse came in just then, carrying a tray full of digestive foodstuffs and some herbs. She also carried a sealed jug filled with crystalline water. It was gleaming a little, with pastel swirls swimming around.

"It's good to see you're awake," she quipped. She unsealed the jug and poured a little bit of the water into a vial. "This pyrefly essence will speed up your healing process. If you can stomach it, that is."

"Pyre…?" His face twisted at the gruesome, rather disgusting implications.

"Don't worry, they're Moonflow pyreflies. They're completely ethical." She tried to force her smile for as long as she needed, which was until Tidus was comfortable with "drinking ghosts" in his words. In the meantime she eyed Yuna intensely. "And _you_ , missy. Your visiting hours have gone a _little_ over the limit."

"Missy?" Yuna despised the thought of playing the 'do you know who I am' card, but the nurse's tone made it rather tempting. "Ma'am, I never saw any visiting hours posted! Could you please clear that up?"

"Clearly, Tidus doesn't need you distracting him from his recovery for as long as you have. Now run along."

When Tidus caught the glimpse of fire, bordering on pure rage in Yuna's expression, he knew he had to speak up.

"Nurse, she's the one I trust in here more than anyone-"

"In what way? What kind of relationship do you two have?"

Her voice had jumped from playful to intimidating in a flash, and in his state he felt like he was cornered by a famished animal. But he wasn't going to let themselves fall into yet another pit, just because she refused to understand their bond.

"She's..." He exhaled a pent-up breath and glared at the nurse. "We're a couple."

"That's not good enough. Visiting hours are unlimited for spouses and relatives. Otherwise it's a maximum of six a week," she huffed, finalising her stance. "Not that I'd expect this little lady to follow it. Isn't that right?"

"You don't know what was going on!" Yuna cried out passionately, returning to her position on the bed and refusing to budge. "Tidus is near and dear to me. I need to protect him from everyone who's out to get him!"

"' _I can't believe this world! If I see one more damned Youth soldier they'll have my sword in their neck!'"_ the nurse mocked her, reciting her earlier outburst in a falsetto tone. "This hospital is sanitary in both the body and the mind. If I see any swords or spells out of you, you'll be mouthing off to the Praetor from a jail cell. Are we clear?"

Yuna hunched over a little, mumbling a confused, angry affirmation.

"Then get out."

Seeing Yuna visibly upset - dealing with the swirl of emotions, having her hands tied - made Tidus physically ache worse than he already did.

"Yuna, go. I'll see you in the morning, okay?" Tidus swallowed, unsteady in his reassurance.

"O-okay."

"You heard him. Scram."

"Yuna, wait!" Tidus called out suddenly, remembering something important. He turned his head to his rucksack which was lying on the table. "My music spheres are in there. If it's not asking much, can you-"

"Music spheres?" The nurse had decided to pry right in, gazing at Tidus with shining eyes. "My! A musician?"

She giggled for a bit and, disregarding any sort of privacy, rummaged through the bag as he was helpless to stop her. Yuna swept over and snatched it up from under the nurse's nose, leaving her hand to trail over the table and to subject herself to a malevolent leer.

"Stay away," Yuna spat at her, filtering out every word to follow. Clutching the bag tightly to her gut, she stormed out of the ward.

"What a chore," the nurse heaved, shutting the door and pulling up a chair to sit next to her patient. "Someone like you shouldn't be putting up with such girls. It's bad for your health."

Naturally sensing that she wasn't the richest - or most modest - in spirit, Tidus scoffed with a jaded expectancy. "I hate to break it to you, but you're not really my type either."

"But did you see how aggressive she was? You can do so much better than that petulant child," she quipped in a half incredulous, half suggestive tone.

"That _petulant child_ you just shooed off is responsible for your _Eternal Calm_. And as her guardian, I will not stand for how you treated her, or us. Now, this is how it's gonna go: you will leave me alone for the rest of the night. And when I get better, I am checking. Myself. _Out_."

Judging by the flabbergasted look on her face, and how she was leaning away with every venomous word that escaped his mouth, he knew that he had struck multiple of her chords. Silence hung in the air and wrung their throats. But the nurse kept trickling, albeit with a meek resignation.

"I'm already checking you out," she squeaked with a quivering smirk.

"You're an absolute creep."

"But we should make the best of our time together, shouldn't we? I'm actually working part-time, and I'm leaving here in a little bit. I'll wish you all the best in the meantime." She said that last part with a flirtatious wink.

"That brings me comfort." Tidus sneered with venom resounding in his voice.

She finally took the cue and left his room, leaving Tidus to his own devices. He muttered relief under his breath. He craned his neck to look out of the window. The sky was overcast, cloaking the unlit buildings in darkness and stretching out over the horizon. Finding nothing interesting to watch out for, he sighed and finally gave his neck some well-deserved rest.

"I'm sorry, Yuna…"

He felt like weeping until he could fall into slumber. He just wanted to run away. Away from the nurse, away from the hell that Spira couldn't resist bringing down on him - and back to his Yuna.

They deserved much better than this. Didn't they?

* * *

Tidus found sleep hard to come by, waking up at the crack of dawn. Sitting alone in such solitude was agonizing, especially with not knowing when the nurse would next be in. If Yuna would even be allowed in - if they would be allowed time to themselves.

Alone in his thoughts, Tidus jumped when he heard a knock at the door.

"Tidus?" The voice didn't belong to Yuna, but at least it didn't belong to the wretch from last night. "I'm sorry if I woke you, but you have a visitor and she wants to know if it's okay to come in."

"Hey Tidus, it's me!" Yuna called from beyond the threshold.

"Yes, please let her in." Tidus exhaled audibly, as if in relief. Just then the room seemed to gain some of its homeliness back.

"Of course. Remember to ring if you need anything, okay?" The nurse chimed in before taking her leave.

Yuna stepped in and approached him from the side, her hands behind her back. Her cheeks were aching from her wide grin. "She seems nice."

"Yeah, thank goodness. I was about to snap on that one last night," he grumbled.

"Usually I don't admit these things, but I was about to as well." She glanced to the floor sheepishly.

"I could tell. That's why I sent you off when I did."

"She didn't... 'harm' you, did she?" Yuna felt a knot welding in her gut by just thinking of the possibilities.

"No, no. I made it clear she wouldn't be laying a single finger on me without suffering the consequences.

"Good." Yuna placed a peck on Tidus' forehead. ' _Nobody better lay_ _ **anything**_ _on my Tidus.'_

"Say," He was at a good-enough angle to see the object being hidden from him. "what do you have behind your back?"

"This? Oh, it's nothing much, but it's for you." Yuna blushed.

"For me? Well then, can I see it?"

Yuna revealed the gift: a bouquet of white roses, nearly identical to the gift that Tidus himself picked out before things went downhill.

"Y-Yuna, how'd you know? That's exactly what I planned on giving you!"

"Well, the old lady at the flower shop told me all about it when she asked me for my boyfriend's name. She also sent you a letter wishing you all the best, Tidus."

She sat down beside him and opened the neat, chic letter that was specially crafted for him. The petal-stained paper was nicely topped off with a red ribbon wrapping around the folds. Within it was a wobbly, but whole-hearted handwritten message, which he decided to read out loud:

" _To the young Tidus,_

 _I heard and saw the heartbreaking news. I write this letter to you with blessings that you will get better completely, and that your sunniness will never fade._

 _There are good and bad people in this world, even after our struggles. But please know that I, and hopefully all of Luca, wish you all the best._

 _I hope you will come back and visit sometime!_

 _\- A.L. ~ 'Flowers of the Highroad'_

 _P.S. You two make a cute couple!_ "

He chuckled at the last line, pulling away from the print to gaze up at Yuna with crowding emotions. The sight of the bouquet gave him an inner strength; he reached out to grasp it. It felt like multiple anvils were clamping down on his bicep, but after much perseverance his fingers curled around the silky bushel.

He relished in the mild scent, his feat not yet registering until he got a good look at his lover's deep expression.

"Tidus, you're moving!" she cried out, soon turning into cheers and a jubilant laugh. "Thank the fayth - you're moving!"

He exclaimed, working to loosen up the bones in his fingers with a small smile. "Well, I wasn't gonna stay like this forever, was I?"

"No, no!" Yuna exclaimed, sounding less than convincing in her attempt to hide her worry. "I mean, I'm just glad you're improving."

For a moment, Tidus appeared lost in thought, weighing the concern in Yuna's voice. Yet again as so many times before, there was nothing they could do but pick themselves up and march forward.

"I think you're more my guardian this time around." Tidus chuckled.

"Hey, don't forget all the times I bailed you out on my pilgrimage!" Yuna grinned. "You _really_ liked chasing those butterflies. You almost ran into a fiend's mouth that one time!"

"You know, you've really stepped up your humour game," Tidus quipped with a chuckle.

She swung her legs over the bed and slowly laid down beside him. "I only learned from the best, you know?"

"Well, at least I got that going for me, if nothing else. I got Yuna to lighten up!"

She laughed harmonically. "It certainly wasn't what I expected for my pilgrimage. But… it made it better. You made everything so much better."

His gaze faltered and he looked away, stumbling to come up with a retort when he felt her hand cup his cheek. He turned back to find that Yuna had shuffled even closer.

"It made me sad, sometimes, when I thought of what would happen in the end." ' _And what_ _ **did**_ _happen,'_ she mused with a wince. "But I don't regret any of it. You're a big part of why… why I wanted to keep living, even at Zanarkand. I knew I had something to live for beyond that."

Keeping her distracted with his gentle grin, he quietly looped his unstable arm around Yuna's neck, and pulled her into his personal space. He bent down to brush his lips against hers teasingly.

"I did say I'd find a way, right?" he whispered seductively. "I didn't want moments like these to be just memories."

A whimper hitched from within her throat as she suddenly found their lips locked and blossoming with warmth. Tidus held the bouquet upright to hide their bliss. Yuna shifted so that she was angled over him, her elbow sinking firmly into the mattress and her legs tangling the sheets.

Standing just outside the ward and watching through the one-way glass was the nurse who had just left. She was peeking at the scene playing out before her, uttering the tiniest mewls of adoration. Clambering up just beside her was the nurse from last night, who loudly cleared her throat and rattled her cart.

"Aren't you going to stop her, Mylia?" she growled, appearing on-edge. "Tidus might be suffocating."

"Oh- he's clearly not," she scoffed with annoyance. "Look at them."

"Oh, I know. It's so _romantic_ , isn't it?" she huffed sarcastically. "The High Summoner just waltzes in and starts making out with a patient. Why, we should make a painting out of this. Hang it in all the temples!"

Mylia's eyebrows shot up, her eyes still plastered on the slow scene. "Are you jealous?"

The nurse stuttered, both offended and embarrassed. She trampled behind the cart and pushed it over to the door. "Right. That's exactly it! How dare I have concern for a man! I guess the High Summoner is just _allowed_ to break all the rules!"

Her little tangent had obviously breached the walls. The other hallways had gone silent, and the lovebirds themselves had halted their little session to gawk at the door. Yuna quickly got off him and plopped down innocently, just in case.

"I think your mind is a little too clouded to be working with any patient right now," Mylia counteracted, taking the cart off her and directing her to the double doors. "Perhaps you should take the rest of the shift off?"

"As I said!" the nurse barked. "Little Lady Yuna has all of you wrapped around her pinky! I feel truly sorry for that Tidus - being stuck with that _wench_ , when he could be…"

Her sentence got choked up as she rushed the walk of shame out of Mylia's sight. Sighing, she shook her head and gently rapped on the door, requesting permission to enter from Tidus. Once in she immediately started preparing a catering tray, full of little pastries and mashed potatoes.

"Here's your breakfast," She paused to give him an impish smile. "Sir Tidus."

"Oh hey, thanks!" Tidus grinned. He bent forward to get a good look of what was being offered to him, and picked up both of his arms to take hold of a platter. "I might need a little help."

Following that little comment, Yuna hopped off the bed and begun to build a bundle of silverware, mince pies and milky mash on the tray, indirectly taking control from Mylia. With a dainty smile she pulled up a chair beside the bed and relaxed, watching the intensive act being carried out of the purity of heart.

"It's truly amazing!" Mylia exclaimed before admonishing herself for her excitement. "I mean - how the Lady Yuna has been able to find love after all."

"We go back quite a bit." Once again she sunk into the dent she made in the mattress. Out of nowhere her stomach started spurting growls, rousing Tidus' attention.

"You wanna share?" he suggested with a mouthful, handing her a fresh pie. "You've been running around a lot."

Witnessing Yuna humbling herself to nothing, before finally being enticed by the golden delight, only softened Mylia's soul until it felt like she could float away.

"How did you two meet, if you don't mind me asking?"

Tidus and Yuna stared at each other with a knowing look. He set the platter to one side and made himself as comfortable as he could be. He bore into Mylia's eyes as Yuna nestled into his side, reminiscing ahead of time.

"Well, it's a long story. If you don't have anywhere else to go…"

She quickly shook her head. "I'm sure it'll be a good one."

And so their tale was recounted with the rising of the sun - how a man from the mysterious land of Zanarkand intertwined with the path of a summoner from Besaid. Their budding friendship had been nurtured from the curious innocence of youth, and matured into something deeper once they were pitted against the world, and had nobody to confess their impossible desires to but each other. A daring romance kept only between them, for nobody - not even their closest friends - would approve of their bond in such tormenting times.

Mylia took in every meaningful word, her suspense urging her to ask questions about the little questions, turning it into a playful conversation as the two of them learned new, minute details about each other - even after all this time.

"...and then, and then-!" Try all as he might, Tidus' words came out as just wheezes of laughter. "We were holding hands this one time, but then Wakka busted in and saw us! So he was about to rat us out to everyone, when Rikku…"

"Hit him in the head with a blitzball," Yuna finished for him, squirming with giggles. "He couldn't remember a thing!"

"She has one heck of a throwing arm. I don't know why she didn't play for the Aurochs." He stopped when he heard Mylia clearing her throat from beside them. "Oh- sorry! Whaddya wanna ask?"

"You two must have been so close. But then- why weren't you with her when she gave her speech?" she inquired, tilting her head away with a slither of embarrassment. "In fact, nobody's ever heard of a 'Sir Tidus' until now."

He gulped. A plethora of possibilities overwhelmed him. He pushed the empty tray aside and leaned backwards, greeting the ceiling with a deadpan stare.

' _Should I tell her the truth? There's no harm in coming out with it now, right? But… she'll ask more questions, and… I don't need my revival to be going public. Not in a New Yevon hospital.'_

"Well… Sin and the pilgrimage took a lot out of me. But I went into care and the fayth gave me guidance." He released a painful breath. It wasn't _entirely_ a lie, right? "I didn't want to come back to everyone until I was a whole man again."

"Hm… I see. You must have been some guardian to keep Yuna alive."

It was then when Yuna decided to give out a greatly exaggerated yawn, and stretch her limbs over Tidus' body until a pleasant tingling sensation filled them. She smiled and nestled into the crook of his neck, eyes drooping.

"Sorry. I didn't get much sleep last night," she muttered to him, unable to muster up the energy to stay alert. "Mylia, can I stay here with him?"

"I don't see why not," she quipped, beginning to clean up the place. "You two practically act like a married couple."

Yuna's face flushed red as she contemplated that word, an awkward silence falling down on the room before snapping to attention. "Thank you so much. I really, really appreciate it."

Making as little noise as she could, Mylia pulled down the blinds, set the empty plates on the cart and wheeled it out of the ward, leaving them alone for a little while. The silence persisted still as the couple looked each other in their fleeting eyes. Breaths forced - stomachs knotted - Tidus cleared his throat when he couldn't bear it anymore.

"You get some shuteye, all right?" he insisted with a crook of a smile. "Looks like you need it."

She took the memo and relaxed against him, balling up parts of his gown in her fists. He lay there for a while just watching her rise up and down on his chest, thoughts swirling around him quietly.

'' _I wouldn't mind that,'_ he realised, going on to spend the next while with similar epiphanies.


	14. Special Guest

**Chapter XIII**

* * *

For Mylia, Saturday morning began just like any other.

Two patients were discharged early in the morning - eager to leave the cold, neutral confines before breakfast came around. The next few hours were spent splitting up the backlog of civilians wishing to give their best regards to her special patient, and the High Summoner by his side. Gifts were placed in the usual spot by his bedside table, and the schedule was quickly flooding with requests.

Yuna had temporarily left for some fresh air and to check up on the _Romantique_ , leaving Mylia to give the young man some company. With her hourly slot fulfilled she had left to check on the queue by the reception desk. What she found weren't curious, chittering visitors, but a silver-haired man clad in decorative green robes, befitting of his status.

"B- Praetor Baralai?"

The New Yevon leader rose from his seat, folding his newspaper and approaching her. "Sorry, I just got here. Are you busy right now?"

"Oh- No, no!" Flustered, Mylia awkwardly bowed in return before saluting one of the most important men in Spira. "Forgive my questioning, Praetor, but what are you doing here?"

"There's no need to apologize; you're doing your job. But if it's not any bother, do you know where a 'Tidus' might be? And is the High Summoner with him?"

"Um, why do you ask?" Mylia asked, the skepticality of his tone sending warning signals her way.

"It concerns his safety and why he is in the hospital at this very moment."

"Ah. Well…" The leverage of mind she had personally developed had withered away under the presence of the influential man. "Lady Yuna isn't here at the moment. But I can page her Commsphere."

"I see. But that wasn't all I asked," he noted with a slight pressuring tone. "I just need to see Tidus specifically."

Mylia struggled to muster up a clear response. Tidus and Yuna were weary with what kind of persons would be allowed into the ward, especially those associated with the factions; they had made her very aware of such suspicions due to the incident.

"Please, Ma'am." Baralai softened his voice and broke eye contact. "All I can say is that this is a state of emergency."

Thoughts crowded her. "I can take you to where he is. But perhaps you're better putting it off until Lady Yuna returns. He's more… lenient when she's around."

"Absolutely," Baralai finished with understanding. "Thank you."

He sat back down, and Mylia contacted Yuna to let her know about the Praetor's appearance. She then quickly went down the hallway and peered through the ward's one-way glass.

Tidus was propped up, exercising his legs over the side of the bed and listening to his music sphere at the same time. He was healed up save for his dominant arm, which was where the poison was focussed.

Mylia supported herself against a wall and fell into a pondering state. As she was doing so, other doctors and nurses gave her confused sideways glances.

' _Why's the Praetor here? I know it was an attack, but…'_ She bore into the rectangular depths of the hallway. ' _Lady Yuna? Sir… What's going on?'_

She jolted when the cocoon of silence was breached by slamming doors, followed up by Yuna aggressively strutting towards her - and Baralai following suit at a reluctant pace.

"That was quick!" Mylia gasped, taking note of Yuna's reddening cheeks and sheen of sweat.

"Thanks for letting me know-" She paused, giving the one-way glass a hard glare and furrowing her brow. "Mylia, this is serious. Please don't listen in on us this time."

She gave her a firm nod, heading down the adjacent direction and rounding the corner, not daring to look back.

* * *

 _Bevelle Press,_

 _Wednesday, October 2nd, 2 E.C._

 _An act of assault followed up by an attempted kidnapping had occurred in Luca this Monday. The culprit, identified as official Youth League member 'Rhion of Djose,' was detained by Lucan guards at the back entrance of the Sphere Theater. The crime was discovered by High Summoner Yuna. The victim, Sir Tidus, was transported to the Lucan branch of the New Yevon Health Sanctum for treatment._

 _Doctors deduced that the victim was paralysed from the shoulders downward. After medical examinations, it was speculated that the culprit had used a crossbow dart containing high-concentrate paralysis poison. Locals expressed outrage due to the alleged political nature of the assault. Youth League founder and leader, Meyvn Nooj, rebuked the claims by disassociating himself with the culprit:_

" _The morale of my squad is definitely not perfected; there will be rogues whose actions are fueled by their own power trips, such as this man that I will refuse to call one of my brethren. I would like to let everyone know that members such as the perpetrator of the Luca attack do not represent the intentions of the Youth League in any form. Nevertheless I wish Sir Tidus a smooth recovery."_

 _Sir Tidus is still hospitalised, with High Summoner Yuna staying by his side due to wishes of 'protection.' The culprit is currently being held in Luca under an unspecified prison sentence. Interrogations are expected over the following days._

* * *

"I'm so comforted by the fact he's that concerned for my well-being." Tidus flung the paper across the room, his deadpan monotone indicating how he truly felt.

"Not convinced?" Baralai replied in a tongue-in-cheek manner.

"No."

"I thought as much," he muttered, peering out of the window. "I wouldn't expect you to."

Tidus leaned back in exhaustion, a sickly feeling pooling within his gut. Just the notion of Nooj creating an alibi felt like an insult to his intelligence. He knew what that man wanted. He knew what he was doing. Yet the people didn't know what was really going on, and _that_ was what mattered.

"I'm glad to see you're getting along well, Tidus." Baralai's soft tone fluttered about them. He pointed to the last paragraph of the article. "But from the sounds of it, that soldier is the one getting the short end."

Of course. Hatred and vitriol was being directed to the wrong person - how Nooj intended in his cowardice. The forces of Tidus' mind compelled him with a want for justice.

"Baralai?" he started, twisting around. "What kind of trial is Rhion getting?"

The Praetor's face slowly sank into a grimace. "...I'm not sure if he'll even have one. The law is kind of muddled in this case."

"In what way?"

"Attacking a legendary guardian is seen as a threat to order, and the consequences are pretty… well- severe. To say the least." Baralai visibly winced. "But it was his choice to attack you. He'll just have to-"

"Nooj _gave_ him orders!" Tidus growled, startling his group. "Why isn't anyone representing him?! Somebody's gotta care, right?"

"That's… really just up to Nooj," Baralai muttered with a disheartened sigh.

"But you said you'd work together. In Luca, remember?" Yuna reminded him.

"I cannot get directly involved with what the League or the Faction decide to do," Baralai countered. "That's the thing with power-sharing, I'm afraid."

Both of them accepted what he was implying with a sad nod. An unwelcome silence stretched out before them. Breaking the awkwardness once again was Tidus suddenly rising to his feet and taking a dominant stance over Baralai. He glared at him with a determined, furious gurn.

"Aren't you angry about all this?"

"What… Well- I never allow myself to. Why?" he responded to the young man with surprisingly little tact, hearing Yuna rising behind them.

"You heard me, right? He's being put in the wrong situation on purpose." Tidus inclined. "Do you think Nooj's giving up just 'cause he can't be bothered to walk the highroad for him? Or is it something else?"

Yuna could sense that Baralai wasn't coming any closer to understanding what he meant. Fortunately she had caught his sly inflections and decided to offer her take on the matter:

"Baralai. I think he's saying that Nooj may be avoiding having to face up, lest his plans get revealed."

All of a sudden his movements stiffened. Both of them could tell that the man had quite the urge to vent, but he swallowed his pride by the bending of his head.

"There's no proof of that, and I'm not going to judge Nooj based off assumptions," he mumbled boldly, earning a disgruntled sigh from Tidus. "Maybe that soldier _was_ a rogue. Maybe he had his own reasons for attacking you."

"But why would I, in _particular,_ be so important to some random crook?"

"Attention? Upsetting the other factions? A bad reflex?" He caught those last words with a hint of guilt. He rubbed his palm against his face wearily, trying to get a hold of himself. "I'm not sure what made him go this far, but unless I get all of the evidence I wouldn't make any pleas."

"You can't even just… make up theories?"

"I did that long ago." He recollected himself to stare at Tidus. "But between Shuyin, the church, the teachings and you, I learned that nothing is ever what it appears to be."

It dawned on Tidus that he was no longer willing to make any more arguments. Each fragment that bubbled from his throat was cut short by a drowsy, acidic feeling in his gut. He exhaled a brash breath and sat back down on the bed, grinding his teeth together.

There were many words in his vocabulary that he could apply to himself, but 'complacent' was _not_ one of them.

There was an analogue clock hanging on the wall, reading an approximated half-past eleven. Each second the red hand would band and tick. Normally the subtle, unremarkable sound was supposed to make the fellow patient feel tranquil, and give them company when they had no visitors.

But now all that noise was doing was pointing out the uncomfortable silence - to be frank it was very irritating. Tidus' patience was waning. If this kept up any longer he would go buck-mad. He knew changing the subject would make him seem dishonest, so how was he supposed to counter Baralai's final statement?

 _Tick… tick… tick..._

' _Damn it…'_ Holding deep contempt for his nagging thoughts, he launched his legs forward. "Goddamn it!"

"Tidus…!" Yuna exclaimed with an exasperated tone, though found herself giggling straight after. "The Praetor is right next to you!"

"S-sorry!" he whispered with hasty submission, unable to escape Baralai's bewildered expression even as he fell back down. "Just- 'S the stress getting to me..."

But the Praetor kept eyeing him, even amidst the recuperating silence. Eventually flustered pinks blotched Tidus' face. Having enough (and wanting to forget that ever happened), he swallowed a thick lump and stared Baralai head-on.

What he saw was not the expected gurn of vile disapproval - far from it, although his brow was furrowed with crinkling skin. When he begun to inhale deeply, Tidus couldn't help but brace himself.

"You're stressed." Baralai's voice was deep and deadpan. "Over this."

And with that, the tension crept back. "O-of course I am. There's no problem with that, right?"

"Regardless of what your opinion of all this is, you're not the one being prosecuted here."

Narrowing his eyes, Tidus silently hoped for the slightest hint of reluctance from Baralai's side. ' _Does he think I'm being insensitive?'_

"Now…" His face darkened by shadows, Baralai insisted on composing himself before going forward. "I'm not saying that Rhion didn't deserve it. Nobody can deny that what he did was illegal. But for you to say that _you're_ -"

' _He is.'_ He shut his eyes, whistling tired air and tuning out the raised voice. ' _Me and my big mouth...'_

Needless to say, this was going down a very slippery slope. Tidus quickly sat taut, preparing himself to speak with sentences rather than vague blurbs.

Baralai was not looking at him, however. His silent attention was instead drawn to the other figure on the bed. A wooden creak sounded... followed by the Praetor's eyes bulging until they were showing mostly whites. He cleared his throat and stared at the bedridden man, slightly tense.

"I'm sorry. I know - I just said I shouldn't assume... " Pausing and shifting his gaze towards the woman, Baralai turned away and muttered indecipherable sibilants before rewinding. "Let me try that again. _Why_ are you stressed?"

"Because it's my-"

The phrase escaped Tidus and Yuna's lips in unison. Stalling his thoughts, he allowed her frustrations to air.

"-companion's life being targeted by someone I dared considered a dear _friend!_ " Yuna exploded, her restraint uncharacteristically absent. "He's gone through _so_ much, and you think you can just waltz in here and tell him to get over it after all you did?!"

Baralai winced and sucked in a hasty breath. "But Yuna, it was a personal...!"

All she had to do was play the silent game before he was hanging his head and playing with his thumbs. "Nooj and Gippal invading our island didn't seem very 'personal' to me."

"I just wanted... to be safe about it."

"Coward," she spat. "You can't even put out your own fire."

Hissing out a sigh, she leant back and turned a sullen expression to Tidus' direction. His frightened face was set in stone, his mouth slightly agape. Sputters reverbed down his throat as his eyes darted between the two figures.

The group nearly jumped out of their skin when a hardy force walloped against the door, sending it apart with a pathetic squeak. There in the threshold stood the dreadful nurse, a fist against her waist and her deadly glare aimed at the only other woman.

"First you disregard the rules of the hospital, and now you're harassing the Praetor. Juicy," she smarmed with a malignant grin. "I think that's enough of a scandal to ban you for a _very_ long time."

"Fine. I was just about to go anyway," Yuna seethed, quickly launching herself forward and shooing her off before slamming the door. "Come on, Tidus. We're leaving."

"Ah- Um, I…" He picked up his dysfunctional arm. "But this is my dominant one."

Out of the corner of his eye, Baralai was making intertwining motions with the flick of his wrists. A cocoon of mild yet warm light molded within his palms. He took the limp arm and let the light spill onto it with the consistency of liquid. It transformed into a double helix, wrapping and tightening around the muscle before sinking in. Tidus was shaken by the freshening sensation of his nerves rushing back into place, and at long last the limb was able to flail around like it always did.

"Esuna," Baralai simply said with a smile. "It's a nullifier. Hopefully it'll keep in effect until the poison leaves you."

He thanked him with a sincere giddiness before getting up to stretch. He strolled over to Yuna, who by then had softened considerably due to Baralai's actions. She took a large breather and nodded to herself, looking up at her companion.

"The next time I see that so-called 'Nooj the Undying' in action, I'm not going to be so quiet," she whispered in her usual tone, pressing down on the door handle and checking for any keen listeners. "I'm going to go check out with Mylia. Excuse me, Baralai."

"I'll just get some fresh air, then," Tidus mumbled as she left the room. Pivoting around to Baralai, he made a fanning gesture with his hand and exhaled a relieved breath.

* * *

The patio situated at the back of the hospital was a humble spot: a rounded fountain trickling with falling droplets stood above a moat of unused flowerbeds. Vibrant orange-brown leaves, which had broken apart from the blankets of foliage, were sprinkled across the wooden boardwalks and across the rising brick walls.

Leaning his elbows against one of the fences was Tidus, who had changed into a new set of thermal clothes and was listening to the older folks taking their leisurely walks across the area. He drew in a long and relaxed breath spiced with the autumn scent, casually kicking away the unkempt blades of grass that were tickling his ankle.

From behind him the door had slid open, followed by a sensation of added weight to the boards. Turning his head it was clear to see that it belonged to Baralai - slow and reluctant, as usual.

"Sup?" Tidus greeted him with a grin, sidling to the left.

It took him a few seconds before he finally decided to close the distance, mimicking the young man's positioning against the fence. The two of them let nature keep singing for a little while, but Baralai would apply a rag to the beads of sweat present on his brow every now and again.

"Somethin' the matter?" Tidus spoke up, noticing his condition a lot later than he should have.

"No, I'm- I was just a little shaken up back in there," Baralai explained with an airy voice, followed up by a chuckle.

"Ah," he exclaimed with understanding, leaning forward an inch. "Well, you're not alone on that, so - nothing to be ashamed of!"

"She…" Baralai lowered his voice, as if preparing for a retaliation. "...can be something fierce, can't she?"

Propping up his chin with his knuckles, he hummed a melodramatic note. "I guess so, sometimes. It makes me kinda worried for her."

Words were teetering on the edge of his lips, but he audibly gulped them down as they threatened to fall. This time Tidus caught his hesitation immediately, and approached him with a slant of his head.

"You're doing it again."

"I'm sorry…" Baralai muttered, cold breaths hitched and choked in his throat.

"Hey, it's all-"

"For being so foolish, I mean," he reiterated with a jumpy start before hurrying to change the subject. "Nooj has shut himself out from the Council ever since that day, and he's severed all forms of communication from the outside. I need to find a way to negotiate with him. I'm just wondering, Tidus."

He quickly said that last part with a finger raised in Tidus' direction, and pushed himself away from the fence, falling into a glum state of pondering. The young man silently watched him pattering around, back and forth.

"And I promised I wouldn't let New Yevon resort to any more violence. But the longer that Meyvn gets his party riled up..."

As he was mulling, he felt Tidus lightly smack him on his shoulder, wanting only his attention.

"Hey, Baralai," he called out with a firm demeanour. "Let's just all calm down for a sec."

It felt very foreign for _him_ of all people to state that, but regardless he managed to get the Praetor to take in the soothing scenery once more - at least, until he would stop huffing so heavily. He nodded affirmatively to let him know that he was ready.

"First of all, I'm not mad at you." Tidus reassured him with a curled smile.

"You're… So you're not." Baralai's face flinched, looking very taken aback. "W-well, I'm very grateful for that."

"I'm grateful as well," he noted, racking his body against the fence as the tweets of bluebirds fluttered past them. "So don't sweat it! Let's just let that all go for now, okay? Don't think about it. Like, at all."

Out of fear for sounding rude, he stifled the disbelieving laugh that was bubbling up. "What?"

"I'm serious. You're sorry; apology accepted," Tidus said, making a small hammering motion with his fist to emphasise his words. "And that's all that's gonna matter in the long run."

He nodded his head lazily, turning to face the fountain with the speed of a slug. Ironically, contemplating the young man's strange, irresponsible advice had him completely disregard what he was trying to get across.

"I'm not sure how you're able to do it, Tidus," he admitted with a musing tone. "Thinking is one of the principles of our being, isn't it? I can't understand how - being able to 'not think'? I'm afraid I just don't understand."

"See - that's exactly what you _shouldn't_ be doing," he stated vaguely, a shadow of a smug grin creeping up.

"...Care to elaborate?"

"That! Trying to interpret things nobody cares about!" Tidus emphasised with an unintended harshness, doing his best to suppress his arm movements. "Like… Lemme give you an example. Hm…"

He then supported his elbow to cover his mouth with his palm, his eyes downcast and glazed over. Baralai was left to stand there in an awkward silence, his head gyrating in a sort of indecisive shaking motion. "So, _now_ you're-"

"I got it," he said with a snap of his fingers, rising to make eye contact shortly afterwards. "So, you know how sometimes, we wonder what the meaning of life is?"

"Of course we do…? Isn't that something we all want to find out?"

Tidus exhaled softly. "Yeah, but, _how_ do we start to know the meaning? There's _nothing_ to base that 'meaning' on, so where do we even start looking for that answer to the meaning?"

As he was trying desperately to come up with a rebuttal, Baralai felt a dull twinge sparking in the recesses of his otherwise experienced and exercised mind. All that came out in the end was a rather embarrassing-sounding gurgle, before his posture slumped a little from overexertion.

"Just don't. There's no point in even thinking about it. It's a totally pointless question - at least I think so, anyway," Tidus concluded with a shrug, proceeding to wave his hand in front of the Praetor's dazed face. "See what I mean, Baralai? Keep dwelling on answers to that kind of stuff and your brain goes all mushy, and then you're really gonna have problems in all sorts of places."

"I see… I hope I know where you're coming from," he stated, shaking off his stupor by swatting his own cheeks. ' _How did we even get to this point?_ '

"Heck knows, we don't want a brain-dead politician in charge of Spira," Tidus quipped with a cheeky grin, hoping that he'll get some amusement out of the Praetor's reaction.

However, his intentions completely missed the mark and veered into dangerous territory; Baralai's muscles clamped down on the flat piece of the fence, squeezing it tightly, and his breathing fell just short of aggressive spurts. Tidus was confused at first, but when the pieces all fell down together, his capacities for speaking briefly escaped him.

"I… I didn't mean to…"

"Imagine that, won't you?" he chuckled venomously. "What a concept that would be."

"You were possessed too..." Tidus seethed, recalling the facts a moment too late.

"Imagine being aware of yourself, but having someone else in complete control. Someone who wanted nothing more than to make your entire world burn." Baralai swallowed, his fist clenched. "Imagine waking up, your own fingers across the controls of a superweapon. Any longer and the world would have been ashes. Nobody would have known it was the work of that damned unsent. You would have been blamed for it all. It would have been _your fault."_

His tame outlook was at risk of breaking apart; the urge to yell and scream - to **inflict** \- was increasing at a rate that he was powerless to try and stop. He smacked his palms down on the fence again, looking for any kind of outlet to shed the hatred on when the sounds of footsteps shuffled further away.

Whipping his head towards the direction of the noise, he immediately was plagued with guilt: Tidus' expression read of nothing short but terrified as he widened the gap between them, with his right arm slowly disappearing behind his waist.

What was he thinking just then?

"Baralai… I… I'm sorry."

More beads of sweat dripped from his brow.

"You have nothing to apologize for. You may look like him. Uncannily so. But it is plain to me that you two couldn't be any further apart."

A bated breath fled Tidus' throat, although it sounded like it was done with the slightest ounce of pain. His right arm fell limp again, and he hung his head as he slowly approached his old position, scratching his head along the way. Baralai returned to a more even keel.

"I was lucky. It may have been... well, it was certainly for weeks. It was pure hell, don't get me wrong, but Nooj? He suffered with him for a lot longer. It explains why we fell apart two years ago."

"I- don't know-"

"He's a good man, Tidus. The chancellor is seeing red, though." he suddenly stated with a lighter inflection. "He's not going to tell the judiciary to go easy on that soldier, if he'll even give him a chance."

Moments passed by when Baralai caught wind of his sixth sense. Pairs of curious eyes, from both the few remaining patients on the patio and from the other side of the building's windows were latched onto the two men. He gave them a quick hand-wave before relocating them closer to the brick walls. By then the intruders had gotten the message and were carrying on with their own business.

"Are you okay?" he said to Tidus, whose innocent personality seemed to be snatched away.

"Yeah, it's… It's funny Shuyin slips in again," he grumbled, crossing his arms and leaning backwards. "I'm just as confused about him as you are, you know."

"You two aren't related?"

"Well… no. But maybe he is? Like from a distant time, in another place?" As expected, Baralai's face twisted up with the nonsense coming out of his mouth. "Yeah - exactly. That's just how I feel."

"Maybe the Gullwings can piece it together. They proved invaluable when it came to figuring out Shuyin's motives with Vegnagun. I'm sure they could dig some-"

"About that. They're defunct," Tidus dismissed his thoughts with sharp pronunciation. "It's just me and Yuna on a little boat cruise now. Maybe holding out for a lead, but we're not sure where to begin."

"I… see." He would have to ask her about those nitty little _details_ later. "Perhaps you could do with a bit more focus. Let's figure out what your first objective could be."

"If I'm alive or dead would be a good place to-"

In trying to make his motor stop, he ended up with his cheeks slightly puffed out. Just as quickly as he released that cursed breath, he sucked in another one.

"That was a joke!" he blurted with unrelenting speed. "Heh. That was funny, right? Right?"

"If I recall correctly, I was at the head of a rather conspicuous trial determining that." Baralai shook his head in bewilderment. Trying to understand Tidus proved almost impossible.

"Oh… _Oh_." Whatever measures his mind was taking to suppress all memories of that incident were certainly beginning to work. "Um. If we can put behind the whole 'execution' thing Nooj was threatening me with…"

"Of course."

"Did anything come out of that?" he asked, greatly lowering his voice into a raspy whisper. "The ghosts scared me off before I could hear it."

At once, Baralai's eyes darkened and he began to cluck his tongue, thinking of the exact phrase he had to use to make sense of the situation. Tidus waited patiently - a rare occurrence. He lolled his head against the spherical monument on the wall, staring up at the luscious blue sky when sprinkles of pastel colours caught his eye.

' _Pyreflies?_ ' He watched them bob up and down, migrating to the south-west. ' _Weird._ '

"To put it in the most human language, Tidus…" Baralai started, rubbing along his lower face with exhausted eyelids. "Your state is a phenomenon. The likes of which have never seen a book of records."

The loft picked up with a burst of force, perfectly encapsulating the mood. Tidus tightly clasped his hands together and held them to his churning stomach. "S-should I be proud of that?"

"If you consider black pyrefly patterns in your aura to be a novelty."

"What does it mean?" A sobering memory flooded his mind, once relayed by Bahamut as he lay passed out at the base of Mount Gagazet. The dream…Tidus held out his hands, his lax fingers curled up. ' _Was it because I was a projection made real? Did this come on when I returned, or did I always have them?_ '

"However you did pass the test, as we're proving right now," Baralai reassured him, trying to bring a light into this whole catastrophe. "You're not going to break apart near a pyrefly mass, so we know for sure you're not dead."

Either he didn't want to respond, or that not-so-secret revelation wasn't making him feel any better.

"But just to be safe, Tidus, I suggest you keep away from those Farplane entrances in Guadosalam and the cloisters," he muttered with a shifty cycle of his eyes. "Because… I remember that display in Bevelle. Something is not right with you."

"I...noticed." Tidus trailed off as his thoughts turned to Yuna, and the prospect of breaking her heart once more. ' _What if I'm still a dream? Or worse?'_

"Do you, uh, want to go back in?" he suggested to the young man, his heart heavy and aching. "Maybe Yuna's finished checking out."

Dryly swallowing a lump, he raised his head and nodded, holding up a single finger between them. "Just between us, okay?"

"I promise."

Just before his final smile faded, and before his form twisted around to make a dash back into the hospital, Baralai processed the sight of a thin, shimmering tear rolling down his cheek, and then made his chair on the wall.

' _I'm sorry._ '


	15. Rodeo

**Chapter XIV**

* * *

How much longer would it be before he could return to his own world, and crawl of this miserably heavy and stuffy carcass which he once deemed a suit? That was a question he unfortunately didn't have the answer to, nor expected to get from anybody suffering along with him.

Not only was the natural oxygen supply getting thinner and thinner the further they burrowed into this forsaken realm of the dead, but it was becoming terrifyingly plausible that, despite their suits' preferences to functionality over comfort, even they were struggling to protect their users from the potential thousands of poisonous substances in the 'air'.

Swollen eyes and tracts weren't even the worst of their troubles: some of the feebler expeditioners would briefly lose all cognitive sense of basic physics. This was the third time this week that a comrade had to convince another that, no, the unexplainable gravity reduction while they were at the edge of cliffsides did _not_ mean that they were able to fly.

And between walking for hours in-between the two worlds, getting thrown off and onto an unknown path due to landmarks he _swore_ weren't there before, and now currently shriveled up into a measly ball after cracking away at crystals that had formed around his tunnel…

Gippal was coming very close to having an existential crisis for how young he actually was.

Peering around the crevice of the wall, he saw that his comrades were just about done with their damage control. An aching sigh escaped him: Saturday night, he realised, and not a weekly report to show for it. Deciding to man up, he got to his feet and dug through his bag for a record sphere. The awkward material of his suit made him flounder around with it for a moment before he forcefully got a grip.

"Gippal speaking. This is Operation Torpedo at the end of week five - currently at our hotspot. A chemical reaction happened over the mineshafts the last couple of days, so the squad had to do some mandatory excavations to uncover them. This place sure does like to jiggle around... Well, it _is_ inside the planet…"

He meant to pause to catch his breath, but instead croaked out a hoarse chuckle. On top of all their problems, his morale was, needless to say, pathetic. It would sometimes take him a whole minute to remember what exactly their mission detailed. Especially when looking down upon his molehill of a 'mineshaft'.

"When we did that, everything kinda went distorted for a few seconds, and- All right. Now there's this weird purple mist coming out of the hole. Great."

Where the caps of the crystals had been hacked off, wispy yet apparent plumes of miasma were wafting from narrow bases in the bodies. Gippal quickly paused the recording and left the premise; he certainly wasn't going to trust his suit around _that_.

However, the stinger was that he wasn't the only one being grossed out by the stench. All of his working crew were subjected to the haze spewing forth from their own areas. All of it had soon culminated into something far more horrid: a hazard that would dehydrate even the strongest man's lungs.

The first action that came to mind was to evacuate all of his squad members from the premises.

Relocating at the edge of a blooming plateau, he observed the hotspot from a distance: spongy plumes of purple smoke gained sentience around the machinery, squirming along the ground like earthworms. Soft _plunk_ noises were bursting from the outer clots, which had formed with a slick, liquidy composition over time. Waterfall pools of that same liquid were forming beneath them, dripping to the foot of the cliff.

"Gross…" Number Seven shuddered, unable to reach out for his quivering body. "A-are they moving on their own?"

"Who knows?" Gippal sighed, a crack of a moan coming through. Yet another inconvenience in their way, and by the looks of it it couldn't be solved with a slap to the face. "Everyone just wait here, and _don't go anywhere_. Those worm things will move out eventually."

"Should have brought a shotgun," Number Ten grumbled, gargling one up and into the spit valve.

Finding the nearest rocky outcrop, Gippal sat down in the obfuscated nook and reactivated the record sphere.

"Sorry for the cut. I-I'm recording this log mainly for some surface feedback on this whole situation. If anything's freaking out up there, it might be our fault. Send down your response and details through a sphere; we'll cease operations at once if we're causing problems.

Apart from that, we've made around eight miles of horizontal distance from last week, and forty-eight meters deeper. We're closing in on the destination documented on the maps, but there's still no sign of any openings to the core. All eleven of us are alive and present… for now, at least. Gippal out."

When re-emerging he was on the direct track to Number Twelve's shorter, yet fairer figure. Falling into a skipping motion she landed smack-dab in front of him, the clunky armor doing naught to conceal her bouncy movements.

"Hey, you," chimed her bubbly voice. "Everything all right?"

"You tell me. I'm trying not to lose my mind."

"Ouch…" For how long she had known him she should have seen this coming; Gippal had always had a way with his brutal honesty. "Can't fault you there. Feels like there's creepy-crawlies all over my back!"

"If you wanna get some fresh air, I have an errand that needs doing."

"You're getting rid of me?" she gasped. She had also known him to be quite the charmer, if that smarmy eyebrow of his was any indication. "Hey, I'm not complaining! Any excuse to get outta here!"

"Firstly, you wanna take the easy or hard route-"

"Easy route!" she blurted crudely.

"...Get out your best hiking legs, pop out through the Djose cloister hole and give our friends a greeting card from down under."

With those words, Gippal presented her with a copy of the map. He then scribbled down some instructions on a note, sticking it on the record sphere before giving it to her. When he was temporarily distracted, the young woman's curiosity reeled her in to decipher his bold handwriting.

"Emergency report, high prior…" When he turned back to her at an alarming speed, her posture submitted to a meek, frightened stance. "What?"

"It's none of your business. Go," he commanded of her with a weak voice.

"W-what's going on?" she whispered with a squeak, before a much firmer repeat of her mission sent her running as best as she was able. ' _Is it really that bad? Gippy…_ '

Seeing her off until she disappeared into the fog, Gippal swung around in a bout of frustration, hurrying back to his ensemble. Raising his arm skyward he made a mutual rollcall for all of his men… only to realise that someone was absent.

A roaching feeling dwindled down his spine.

"Shinra?" he called out with a lack of air. This in turn caused the rest of the men to start searching. "Shinra, where are you?!"

"Sir? Um, I have something to tell you," Number Five winced, shuffling forward sheepishly. "Shinra told me he was going to do some field experiments. Around camp."

"What? Field experiments- _What?_ In the mountains- the _Farplane_?" Gippal stammered in a confounded panic, before realising something much grimmer. "So he's still up there? With all those worm things?!"

The men fell silent, trembling over their leader's sudden breakdown. Some of the hulking, purple masses were creating blots against the mountain face in their attempt to scale the rocks.

"Why didn't he inform me?! He needs a bodyguard! That defenceless little moron-!"

His sheer anger emphasised every word. He turned back to his ensemble, trying his best to stifle all signs of his hyperventilating.

"All right… no more fussing over it. I need to map out a route and fast," Gippal convinced himself, slinging a fist against his open palm. "All of you head back to the last supply point and grab all the weapons. Swords, guns, crossbows - anything. We need to figure out what'll make those worms buckle."

With a resounding 'Yes, Sir!' and some murmurs from the less optimistic members, they scuttered to the distant flare all-the-same. Gippal stayed behind to observe the behaviours of the… could he call them fiends? Surely they couldn't be born from the envy of the dead, and certainly not through any traditional sort of creation.

If only their specialist, equipped to deal with such terminology, wasn't the one who was endangered right now.

* * *

Tidus slowly awoke, greeted by the still of night and the warmth of his bed. The faint sounds of waves gently sloshing against the ship reverberated across the room. Laying there beside him was his lover, spooned up to his chest. The subtle twitching of her muscles sent strong chills down their exposed bodies.

She was not the reason why he was roused from his slumber, however. Within the dreamless void he had the feeling that he heard the whispering of his name. Whispering that strangely enough held no voice, but nevertheless registered itself into his mind. Half-awake and half-asleep, he laid there in that hazy state - thinking about the phenomenon until a lack of concentration made it slip from his memory.

Before long, a feminine mumbling rung quietly in his ears. Yuna shifted around in her sleep, emanating sounds while her lips morphed with the tiniest of movements.

' _Was it her?_ '

Though his eyelids were heavy and the pillows fleecy, he coaxed a bemused smile out of the situation before capturing her in his arms once again. It was good enough for him.

* * *

Humming a dainty tune at the kitchen counter, Yuna was working wonders with just a mixing bowl, a stirring spoon and some refrigerated goodies: fruit salad topped with soft cheeses, with a small bundle of milk chocolates as a treat along the way. Her sunshine would certainly need all that buzz for what she had planned today.

Having tossed a portion into a decorative bowl, she began rummaging around for the final part of her loving surprise: the bed tray. But a few seconds later, when she felt the embrace of strong arms and a firm chest on her back, she realised that he had been one step ahead of her.

"Good morning," Tidus murmured to her, twirling her around and smirking into her neck with all-too-knowing dimples. "Watcha up to?"

"I was going to show you how grateful I was…" Pulling away and crossing her arms, she stared up at him with a mock-pout and tinted cheeks. "I figured you'd be knocked out for a little while longer!"

"You… still have a lot to learn about guys, don't ya?" He erupted into a laughing fit before he could finish the sentence. After they calmed down he began to ruffle her hair affectionately. "But nah. Guess I was more alert this time around, huh?"

"I can't believe you're just _now_ figuring out my tricks, Sunshine," Yuna teased him with an exasperated tone, giggling as she set the clunky tray onto the table. "Anyway, eat up and dress up, cause have I found just the day trip for you!"

"I'm just gonna put my faith in your words," Tidus responded carefully, keeping one eye focussed on her as he sat down. "So what's the plan?"

Right on cue, she unravelled a colourful poster from the counter and let it flutter down in front of him. Taking it in one hand, he let a piece of the salad fall to one side of his mouth as he read it in silence:

* * *

 _~ Clasko and Calli's Chocobo Corral! ~_

 _Working in tandem with the Calm Skies Partnership for our Chocobo Awareness Campaign, these magnificent golden steeds will be trotting all across the world and to an outing near_ _you_ _! Festival booths, delicious picnics and hand-made souvenirs aplenty - as well as the heart-stopping races we're so famous for - all free of charge!_

 _For this weekend only, located at the Mi'ihen Travel Agency? How could you not pass up such a wild opportunity? All donations will proceed toward building shelters to keep our feathered friends safe from fiends, as well as toward our goal for chocobos as official pets and public transport!_

 _What are you waiting for? Take your friends and family, and let's all join the fun!_

* * *

Having lived in a tropical region for the length of time they were together, Tidus and Yuna were quite offset by how much the equinox had affected the Mi'ihen Highroad. Ferns and flowers were beginning to wilt into depressing browns, and the vast stretches of lands allowed the trees to catch and toss buffets of wind with alarming ease.

To make matters worse the hovercraft operator was _conveniently_ nowhere to be found, and the sea was too reckless for a boat to cruise along the cliffs, so they had no choice but to get to their destination the old-fashioned way.

"You know, Yuna," Tidus started, rubbing his hands together in an attempt to dispel his chills, "I'm really happy for those two. But don't you think it's kind of a bad season to be doing this?"

"They're children, Tidus. It was probably done impromptu," she reasoned, trying to keep her argument on solid ground by refusing to change into warmer clothes, "and they're doing it for a good- Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Clasko's not a kid, Yuna…" He was caught up in a desperate attempt to not break out into giggles. "He'd be twenty-one by now, right? I remember him telling me his birthday on the pilgrimage."

"W-what?" Stopping dead in her tracks, her eyes grew to the size of saucers. "He's _older_ than us?!"

"It makes sense if you think about it!" he countered, coming up to stand beside her and watch her try to comprehend that little fact with a goofy grin. His head craned up to the sky. "We might have done a whole lot for Spira, yet… how old are we?"

"Nineteen."

"Man!" he exhaled in disbelief. "Feels like I went through a whole lifetime already."

Yuna refrained from stating the obvious, lest horrible memories burst out and into the foreground once again, and followed the circus music that was coming within earshot.

As they continued their voyage up the road, Tidus took her hand and was shocked by how cold she actually was.

"You didn't anticipate how cool it was going to be, did you?"

"Forecasting such things at the equinox is nearly impossible!" Yuna fumed, crossing her arms. "Even our best forecasters get it wrong most of the time! I thought wrongly, okay?"

Tidus grinned smugly, having wrapped his arm around Yuna's waist. "That's why you come prepared for all possibilities. Now, I think it's better if we just continue on to the corral."

"Hey! I was just excited…" Yuna moped, kicking up a cloud of dust. "I wanted you to have a fun day."

"It's all right, Yuna. I'm sure we will." With those encouraging words, he gave her a gentle peck on the forehead and a crooked smile, pulling her along and underneath the festive banners.

"Lady Yuna!" came the shrill, droning call from several hundred feet away, followed by a figure who sprinted way too fast for his own good. "Lady Yuna, it is such an honor for you to be gracing Clasko's Chocobo Corral!"

"It's nice to see you too, buddy!" Tidus shielded himself, not unafraid of the consequences should the former Chocobo Knight come any closer. "I thought this was a joint operation between you and a girl named Calli. Where is she?"

"Would you look who it is!" echoed a youthful, if airy voice from behind. "Lady Yuna, and- Sir Tidus? I haven't seen you in years!"

"Calli? The Calli from right before the Tra..." Tidus gasped, finally connecting the name with the face. "Wow. You've sprung up like a weed!"

She disregarded his statements, seemingly in a competition to act the most overwhelmed. "I never had the chance to thank you properly for helping Lady Yuna bring the Calm!"

"Me neither," Clasko said, butting in. "Where have you been?"

"Travelling," he bluffed with a tiny sigh. Sooner or later he would have to actually get consistent with his incessant cover stories. "When I came back, Yuna suggested we'd go out somewhere together for old times' sake."

"Are you two dating?" Calli asked with a blunt giggle, twirling one of her braids. Nervous grunts confirmed her suspicions, prompting a tooth-bearing grin from her. "No wonder you came out here! Come on, let's go!"

As she bounced down the gravel, with Tidus and Yuna following at a steadier pace, Clasko huffed with jealousy and trawled himself along, kicking up dust and stones.

"Can't get a woman to even speak to me…"

"I speak to you all the time, Clasko!" Calli yelled back.

"I see some things in Spira _haven't_ changed," Tidus whispered into Yuna's ear, who could not stifle a giggle in response.

Proceeding into the grounds of the Travel Agency, they were greeted with a frontal view of the humble yet busy festivities taking place. Bundles of young people were crowded around points of interest such as game booths, baked treats and ( _especially_ for couples) gift stands hanging with chocobo plushies and sunny fashion-wear. A fair few of them were also wandering beyond the hut altogether and down the hill.

"Seems like you two 're making a lot of business," Tidus noted, looking all around him. Eventually he dropped to a low tone: "Pretty impressive considering _this_ weather."

"Ever since Sphere Break fell out of style it's gotten better, I suppose," Clasko stated nonchalantly, coming in-between him and Yuna. "I'm sorry, Tidus - did you say something?"

"He just said he was impressed!" Yuna insisted before immediately changing the subject; she couldn't help but notice that a certain element was missing from this celebration. "So, where's all your 'feathery friends' at?"

"We're keeping 'em out back in the pen at the moment. We want them all rested up in time for the races this afternoon," Calli explained. "But you can come pet them if you like. And- Oh! I just remembered!"

"What's happening?" Tidus urged her to lead them forward, which prompted a series of stressed moans from Clasko.

"An extra-special chocobo was born in the dungeon some time ago, and we're bringing him on tour! You'll see why when we get there." For how loud she was when she declared that, she ironically held a finger to her lips to make them swear on their secrecy. "He's the pride and joy of our image, so don't go harassin' him(!)"

"You've told that to at least five people today!" Clasko gave out his back with a wavering sigh, crudely rubbing away the sheen of sweat on his face with his forearm. "I swear this kid's gonna be the end of me…"

* * *

"Isn't it gorgeous?"

"Look at its little face, all puffed up!"

"Wonder if it's for sale."

"Maybe it has magic powers!"

These were the phrases the group first heard when they were guided toward the chocobo pen, which was full of the giant birds either flocking around or resting in the shade of the cliffside nooks. The crowd in question was concentrated around the fence sectioning off a small area of the field from the rest; it was here which Tidus and Yuna assumed was home to the special chocobo.

Fortunately there was enough of a space for the two of them to join in on the commotion. They squeezed through to the front and, sure enough, it was truly a sight to behold. Whereas the mother and father bore the standard golden feathers of any old chocobo, their kin which was nestled beneath them (which couldn't have been more than a couple of weeks old) bore a down of pure, luminous white. Chirping as it slept, with the sun's rays reflecting the gleam from its strong colour - it was no wonder it was attracting so much attention.

"A white chocobo?" Yuna whispered to Tidus with a mixture of curiosity and giddiness, finally managing to pry them both away from the display. "How's that even possible? The mom and dad aren't anything like him."

"Recessive genes are like guessing games, dear."

Propped up straight against one of the stakes was a sophisticated man, looking nothing older than his thirties and wearing a dull-brown duffel coat. His thick facial hair concealed part of his thin, yet very apparent grin.

"But at the same time they keep us very interesting and unpredictable, don't you think? You can never be too sure a child will end up looking like you, even after countless generations." His speech was slow yet precise; his hobbling toward the couple was the exact opposite of that.

"And you are…?" Tidus inquired flatly, none-too-impressed with the sudden barrage of words the stranger cast at them.

"Professor Demri of Bevelle: certified animal biologist for nine years and advocate for the global legislation of mandatory child education. Very pleased to meet you! And Lady Yuna, of course."

"So you're a school teacher, huh?" he assumed with a bit of a wretch, holding out his arm for a jittery handshake. "You on a field trip?"

"Paid leave, so I can carry out some independent studies." His eyes drifted back to the chocobo pen. "I'd heard rumours about a white chocobo being born in the Calm Lands, but it's only now I've caught up to it. It'll truly be something when it comes to racing age, don't you think?"

"If it's looked after and given lots of love, any chocobo can grow up strong and healthy!" Calli boasted to him.

A rather lithe bird caught sight of her from the far side and galloped over to her, paying no heed to its kind and nudging his thick beak up against her cheek. It startled her at first, but she quickly returned the affection, being tickled by the tufts drooping from his head.

"Just like Lemonade here! We've been together since he was just out of the egg, and he's pulled through for me all the time!" she carried on, pulling away and keeping her eager companion at arms' length as she cooed to him.

"Cute," Demri simply said, finding it hard to take interest in anything other than the obvious. "You're Clasko's assistant, correct? Does the white chocobo have a name?"

"Cirrus…" she got out with a grunt, instead focused on her struggles to keep the bird under control. "Lemonade, what's wrong with you?"

The bird blinked, opening its beak for a low, gurgling _squawk_. Calli then gasped, her hands withdrawing to cover her mouth in surprise, staring bug-eyed at her group of three.

"He's hungry? But they had breakfast a few hours ago! Wait. Unless…"

It dawned on her why the chocobos had been particularly sleepy and uncooperative this morning; her hands squeezed, faintly painfully, into fists, with silent fire blazing in her dark eyes.

"That lazy, jerkish-! That's why there were so many buckets left over in the hut!" Her voice cracked multiple times as she ranted, storming around in a very small circle. "We're not even runnin' low on the stuff, and now- Aagh! I can't believe that klutz! 'Preservation' my _butt_!"

"Not enough Gysahl Greens?" Demri assumed, crossing his arms. "I take it that this is a problem."

"It sure is, genius! They can't race around the highroad on an empty stomach!" Calli retaliated, showing no signs of tiring out. "We need to get them fed. Like, _right now_. And I can't carry all those greens by myself."

"We need someone who's fast and strong…" Yuna gazed up at the man beside her with a teasing twinge of her eyebrows. "How convenient."

"Lemme just get my apron and maid's cap," Tidus joked, walking back to the Travel Agency with his hands raised. "I could do with a workout after being in a bed for two weeks."

Pretending to be in a pondering state until the couple was out of sight, Demri's eyes lit up. "Perhaps I can help feed them? Must be an awful lot of work for a little lady such as yourself."

"You're telling me. And yet I'm just the 'assistant' to everyone," Calli grumbled in spite, getting the last ounces of the anger out of her system. "But thanks for volunteering. Do I need to tell you what portions to give out?"

"You don't need to do that at all. I'm a-"

"Biologist. I know. You said that at least five times today," she interrupted him in a grump, heading into the stable and carrying a long case full of trowels. "Take one and wait for the others to come back, okay? I'll stand watch on the hill."

He nodded in sharp motions, turning away and making haste to a separate stretch of the fence. A groan stained with annoyance escaped his throat: finally he didn't have to listen to the brat's temper tantrums for any longer.

Making sure that nobody was looking his way, he fingered a small flap on his coat and plunged inside, poking at the fine grains sequestered within the plastic packets. Once again his head made a gliding motion toward the crowds fawning over the white chocobo, his hand making the trowel dance.

* * *

Once the chocobos got tucked into the bitter yet filling nutrients, the group parted ways until it was time for the main event. Over the past couple of hours, Calli had dragged Clasko away to give him an earful, Demri continued to linger around the chocobo pen long after he was done with his duties, and as for the other two…

...Yuna had finally given into the paraphernalia which lit up every cranny with cottony goodness, and used her charms to 'persuade' Tidus into competing for a simply _adorable_ chocobo doll. It was a basic game of skill: pelt the three Chocobo Eater heads with a limited number of balls. He passed with flying colors and picked out the prize she was yearning for. The dazzling smile she shot him as she cuddled the doll to her chest made him feel tingly all over.

Being a former blitzball forward still had its benefits!

Afterwards they made their way to the clearing adjacent to the Travel Agency - a spot laden with precious pilgrimage memories, of which there really weren't many of. They laid down a picnic blanket and made themselves comfy, with Tidus propped up on his side to support Yuna from behind.

When she saw no better time than to bring out the milk chocolates, what was supposed to be a period to reminisce turned into a romantic rendezvous involving nothing other than the enticing delights.

"Isn't it peaceful?" Yuna summarised their surroundings with an air of content, turning to nibble at the piece Tidus was offering her.

"Yeah…" He distributed his weight further down to flick away the pressure on his wrist. "Hey. Call me crazy if I'm wrong about this."

"Hm?"

"Didn't you say you wanted to live in a place like this?"

That caught her off-guard; she vividly remembered having those distinct, constant thoughts, but never thought Tidus would recall those daydreams of hers. Ceasing her nibbling at the chocolate, she quickly gulped it down and delved into those memories.

"I think… I was frustrated," Yuna began, looping an arm around his upper body and giving him a bittersweet glance, "at my duties as a summoner. I could never allow myself to live like everyone else. Someone had to be prepared to protect us, since Sin could have reappeared right then and there."

"Yuna…" was Tidus' condolence, moving to rest his higher arm on her shoulder.

"I don't regret my decisions. I never could after all that's happened," she responded immediately, not wanting him to feel sorry for her. "Perhaps that was just all the fairy tales speaking for me back then; I could never leave my friends behind."

"And that's what this trip's sort of for, right?" he replied. "We can have a big long journey, knowing that this time there's a home we can return to! Seems pretty great to me…"

...if he was _certain_ that were the case which, painfully recalling Baralai's advice and his dilemma with the Youth League, there were no guarantees on that. There was nothing he could do except stick it out until the end, with Yuna by his side, praying that the world had mercy on him.

"You know, Tidus," she bent her legs, leaning back onto his side, "having another house built somewhere secret wouldn't be a bad idea."

"Ah- So a hidey hole away from all your pesky fans?" Tidus deliberated with a chuckle, reaching for another chocolate. "I like it! Now _that's_ something to consider for the future."

"Maybe…" Her heart leapt into her throat, cutting her breaths short, "when… If. If we get married."

That word. Voltage coursed through his veins, and Yuna proved guilty of the same. However…She _would_ have been nervous to suggest such commitment, and rightfully so - he wouldn't have fared that much better - but her bold change of tense was invoking a soul-shattering dread from deep inside.

Was he looking too deep into it?

"Yuna?"

"Y-yes?"

Blue and green bore deep into aquamarine.

"What do you-"

"Tidus!" called Calli's distinguishable voice as she ran up the hill, prompting them to quickly rise to their feet before she could intrude. "Hey, you wanna race this afternoon? Lady Yuna told me you're an excellent chocobo rider!"

"Did she now?" Tidus' lips curled up into a prideful grin, switching between the two girls with a suggestive expression. "Maybe I am. I _was_ the only one to get triple zeros on the Catcher Chocobo course!"

Conveniently, he left out how many attempts it took. The race proved no end of frustration for him, but the promise of a special prize saw him through. In the intervening period between Yunalesca and the final battle with Sin, Tidus scoured Spira for gifts to commemorate the pilgrimage, to thank them for taking him in.

The Sun Sigil, however, remained with him to the end. If only he could find his blessed blade that he left behind on that final night.

"Ohhh! So you were the only other rider to get under zero!" Calli gasped. "This is going to be fun!"

"Hold up a sec! What do you mean the only _other_ one?"

"I was the second to do it, _AND_ I finished with a lower overall time. Unofficially."

That mischievous attitude of hers brought his competitive blood to boiling point.

"Oh, it is _on_!" Tidus clenched his fist. "Give me a bird and let's race!"

As the two of them jogged (at a surprisingly even pace) down to the race track, Yuna was left to stand there with a very confused, puckered face. Rattling the box left with the remaining chocolates, she packed up and followed them, absent-mindedly wondering what Tidus was about to ask her.

* * *

"...you'll be going for one lap around the roundabout track, which are marked with arrows. The use of weapons, magic and performance enhancers are prohibited. Taking shortcuts on the oldroad also leads to disqualification. You're advised against distracting the other racers with conversations, waving objects a-"

"Get on with it, dork!" one of the contestants bellowed. "My bird's getting mad!"

Clasko scrunched up the piece of paper in his hands, squeezing a low whine from his throat.

"I'll be flying a machina drone around to make sure you're not doing bad things. You'll go when the flags drop."

With that he threw up his arms and stormed off. The eight contestants were finally set, with Tidus and Calli at the back. Yuna stood at the front with raised arms, and after several seconds, dropped them.

The two rocketed to the front with reckless abandon, rushing headlong towards the first corner. The other racers, much more inexperienced, were left behind in the dust storm.

Calli pushed her chocobo to the inside, establishing the lead before reaching the second apex. Tidus settled in for the next few corners, using the first left hand hairpin to set up a run toward the next ninety degree left hander. The chocobo responded by adeptly outmaneuvering Calli and snatching up the lead.

For the next several corners Tidus rebuffed each challenge Calli posed, until she forced the issue with a bold move at the beginning of the slalom, forcing him wide as her chocobo caught her second wind. Tidus cursed his disadvantage, but kept his cool throughout, maintaining pace through the right hand sweeper. It set him up for the run to the final tight hairpin before the finish line.

He urged his chocobo forward, pressing until the tandem finally retook the lead. ' _One more corner!'_ He finally issued the command to slow down, and the chocobo scrambled to stop.

He pushed too hard.

Calli and her chocobo crossed over and snatched the lead right back as Tidus and his chocobo drifted wide. It was then that Tidus struggled to make peace with losing the race. Nevertheless, he continued to finish, when he saw something that caused him to stop in his tracks.

Suddenly Calli was dislodged from her mount, crashing onto a pebbly terrain. Her chocobo collapsed just a few feet from the finish line.

The last thing on Tidus' mind was snatching victory. Instead he leapt from his chocobo's reins, scrabbling to his rival's side.

"Calli!" he cried out, helping to settle her bruised and bloodied state onto the track. "Are you all right? What happened?!"

"L-Lemonade…" she croaked, tears running down her face from the agony. "He spun out of control a-and bucked me off!"

His head rose to observe her bird from a distance: he was still on the ground with all the mobility of a brick, writhing about with a visibly contracting neck. He quickly treated her wounds with a spare potion and approached him, erring on the side of caution.

More horrendous noises blasted through his ears, and human curiosity drew him to them. The chocobo he had let run free not two minutes ago had now gone haywire, affected by the same spasming symptoms as the one under him.

"The hell…?"

She too collapsed, and like an epidemic it seemed to be spreading; he could hear the other racers' distant pleads for help as their birds turned on them, kicking up a brutal mess of debris and feathers. Calli's chocobo spurted up phlegm, seemingly choking on thin air.

Tidus didn't know what to do. The world was washed out until it sounded of nothing but excruciating screeches and the pumping of his own heart. He bent down to the ground to try and get his belongings straight, when he noticed something was discoloring the bird's gnashers.

Slimy pieces of vegetables were hanging off his canines. Now that he was this dangerously close to his mouth he noticed another alarming symptom: his saliva was tinged a pale blue. Coupled with the stench of the bird's sickly breath, which reminded him of swimming pool chlorine, Tidus came to a ghastly conclusion.

The Gysahl Greens were laced.

' _Who would do such a thing? Why?_ ' he mused, his inner voice gradually getting more aggressive as the disgust blotched his face.

He raised his head to see Calli stagger past him, and in doing so took notice of another eerie occurrence. The audience had dissipated, including Yuna and Clasko. She took more steps forward, letting the cacophony fall away the further she got. She stood still in a certain place, seconds passing… and with erratic movement she made eye contact with him.

"I-I hear screams! And- A gunshot!" Calli's voice wavered, on the verge of breaking down. "Tidus…"

"Calli." He got to his feet and approached her, mustering up a calm and convincing posture. "You need to get to a safe place."

"The chocobos…" she mourned, snivelling.

"Does the Travel Agency have a CommSphere?" he asked, getting a gyrating motion in response. "Call the hospital and guards in Luca and have them send out teams."

"What about you?"

"I'm gonna deal with this."

Coming around to the front and with his back turned to her, he unhooked his Garment Grid from his waist. He held it up to his head, shooting her a smile from behind.

"You're looking at someone who had to wrestle with marlboros," Tidus reassured her. Another gunpowder barrel pierced the air, making his heart flip like a sturgeon. "Oh, geeze. That didn't sound good!"

"Be careful!" Calli cried after him, watching him sprint with the blustering wind.

That bastard wasn't going to get away so easily.

He made haste to the main road, arriving to see that the chocobo pen was in barren ruins. Parts of the rickety fence had been broken apart from the inside. The white chocobo and its mother were gone, with the father sprawled out on the ground and bleeding from a gunshot wound on its talon. Thin blood splatters followed the isolated hutch and trailed out onto the road, heading straight for the outskirts of the Mushroom Rocks.

Clasko lay crumpled up against a fence post. A bloat had formed around the right side of his face, cresting a very unpleasant black eye. A duffel bag had been thrown down in front of him - the same one that Yuna had been holding.

"Clasko, what happened?" Tidus called out as he knelt beside the ragged chocobo handler. It occurred to him only after his hurried inquiry that Clasko might not have been in any shape to respond, but much to his relief, he slowly tilted his bloodied head.

"Some guy with a brown coat and mustache- took a chocobo and ran." Clasko lazily uttered. "He has Cirrus… I couldn't stop them… sorry."

"Say no more. I'll get the little guy back for you, but you need to take this." Tidus handed over a strong salve. "Calli and everyone else need your help."

Before he could protest the young warrior was in hot pursuit of the burglar, a faint flash and the sounds of pyreflies ghosting behind the hills. Stumbling to his feet he groaned, holding the cool ointment to his face.

It was about time for him to become a man. The highroad was depending on him.

* * *

"Demri, at last! How long's it been?" came the sing-song words of the guildmaster, her sloping silhouette stretching over the lumps of bulbous stone. "Couldn't resist that bounty, huh?"

"You said it. Those New Yevon cheapskates are so frugal," the professor grumbled bitterly, walking up to the plain-looking travelling caravan. He turned to lean against its sturdy wood, fishing out a towel to wrap around his bleeding forearm. "The white chocobo's with your fencers. They'll be coming up here soon… with a little bonus."

The devilish grin on Demri's face only piqued her curiosity. "And what might that be, old man?"

"Oh, you might have heard of her. Spira's most popular toy; goes by the name of…" His cheeky grin pushed out his mustache, hindering him from spitting out the words before it quickly deflated.

"Get off me already! I have legs, don't I?"

"Well, I'll let your judgement speak for us. I can hear them coming up now."

Yuna rushed up the incline with gritted teeth, her back arched to avoid impact with the numerous flintlocks pointed at her, crossing her arms and glaring at the surrounding criminals with intense resentment - both at them and at herself. The fencer handed Cirrus over to the guard, who then went to stash the seemingly oblivious bird in the caravan.

How could she have been so stupid as to not have expected an ambush? _How?_ It was the oldest trick in the book: a mook leads the enemy soldier into an open field, ready for the takedown. Besides, Demri didn't _look_ dodgy. She certainly didn't expect somebody with such intelligence and societal status to stoop to this level in his free time.

"If it isn't everybody's favourite High Summoner!" The lead woman's patronising voice was making a spitball form in Yuna's mouth. "Seen you in the newspaper the other week. You like to get around and in everyone's business, don't you?"

"Why'd you kidnap Cirrus?" she growled, getting her back pinned to one of the giant wagon wheels by a guard.

"Cirrus? You mean the bird?" the woman snorted dismissively. "Pawning it off."

"So you- poisoned all those chocobos for that?!" Yuna fumed, giving the nonchalant Demri a glacial glare.

"It's called 'forging evidence,'" he retorted, tightening up the wound. "We can get an animal activist - say they rescued the bird from an abusive organisation that kept drugging them. They'll auction it off to some enthusiast, get a ton of gil and fork the shares over to us."

"They won't be able to resist," someone added with a snigger. "You won't believe what people will do for cash!"

"I wonder if this may be our lucky break…" the woman wondered, squeezing her leather-bound hands together in glee. "How much d'you reckon the factions'll be willing to pay up for their beloved Lady's safety?"

"Boy, like… a lot," one of her cronies replied. "Gotta be somewhere in the millions for sure!"

"Like New Yevon would ever break open their piggy banks."

"Think we can keep her down for that long, Boss?"

"Yuna's not someone to be sold."

Yuna's head shot up to the source of the last voice, which filled her with familiar warmth. Tidus, clad in his Psychic soulsphere, jumped the ambush to arrive at her side.

"What is this? The circus?" a guard blanched, finding the sight of the gallant knight's armor to be quite ridiculous.

"What the hell are you doing here? You should have run along while you had the chance."

"Did you try reasoning with them?" Tidus asked, a cool demeanor belying the intensity of the situation.

"After all they did? Tidus!" Yuna chastised, her warmth showing as her companion stood fast by her. With his arrival, the day was as good as won.

"What claim do ya have to th' sum'ner?" Called another crony, quivering his flintlock as he struggled to absorb the events that led to having the High Summoner of the Eternal Calm in his sights.

"What claim do _I_ have? Well, that's her decision, isn't it?"

"So we got a snitch on our tail," spat another. "That's not good enough! Here's an idea - I bet you don't have near enough gil to buy her _services_ on the black mar-"

A wallop to his face was delivered by the guildmaster's uneven fist. The fracas only continued with a shot to his kneecap. In the split second that followed, the cronies arrived at the pivotal moment. Would they lay the High Summoner and her guardian low?

Too late.

Yuna quickly took out the assailants in front of her with a chambered scatterburst shot, while Tidus simultaneously turned his quota's minds into mush with a powerful psychic wave. With a nod, the two focused on the ringleaders as they made their escape.

"You get Demri, I'll work on their leader!" Yuna huffed as they pursued the pair.

Tidus wondered almost aloud how Yuna was going to make it work, as they slipped out of range of her pistols, but then he caught a glimpse as she invoked the power of a Black Tome. Yuna channeled her energy into a single massive ice spell, encasing the woman in a block of ice.

"Dammit, you run fast for someone who uses a cane!" Tidus cursed, realizing that his attacks would hardly be effective enough at such range to stall Demri from getting away in the caravan.

Until a figure clad in blue dashed in from the side to take Demri to the ground. The rest of the gang took this as the perfect time to flee for their lives.

"Clasko!" The pair called in unison as he rolled atop the professor, throwing haymakers at him.

"How… could… you… harm… those… chocobos… my… life's… WORK!" Clasko spat and sputtered as he continued his a break, he placed both palms on the professor's neck and transferred all his weight into the pressure. "Ruin my reputation, huh?! You'd better be begging on your knees at the Farplane gates when I'm through with you!"

Through the pummeling, Demri managed to pop the hob off his cane to reveal a taser, jabbing it at full force into Clasko's body. He jerked taut, then collapsed, tumbling to the side.

Demri clambered to his knees to be greeted by a pistol to his head. With a wry grin he lowered his gaze to the ground.

"Bra- _vo_ , Lady Yuna. It must be so nice to play the world's police once more. How big will your heap of praise be this time?"

"Tidus and I didn't labor for the Eternal Calm to have people like you ruining it for everyone." Yuna hissed as the professor's hands were locked behind him by psychic binds.

"Whatever," he seethed. "Drama queen."

Tidus rushed over to an unconscious Clasko, feeling his pockets for a spare salve, and finding precious little. "Yuna, can you spare a bottle?"

She begun to squash up her collection of pouches with her hands, but ultimately felt nothing resembling a cylindrical shape and gave him a big, hearty shrug. He sighed with understanding and approached the caravan, wondering if he could find anything of the sort underneath the heaps of stolen goods. He emerged a few minutes later in defeat.

' _At least Cirrus is happy_ ,' he noted with a warm grin, looking down at the energetic poof of feathers cradled to his side.

Suddenly, from the top face of a cliff, a bottle was plummeting at an arc and almost made impact with his skull. It was plain to see on their faces that Tidus and Yuna had no clue about what prompted this. The confusion only settled in deeper when they found it was the exact brand of salve they were looking for - with a brown envelope attached to it.

"Hey! Whoever you are, thanks!" he yelled toward the cliff, garnering no response except for an echo.

"Tidus. Come look at this."

Yuna showed him the address on the envelope. 'P.B.' was written with a bold, black marker. Elsewhere on the flat mass of the mountains, just out of their line of sight, Elma and Lucil were strutting back to camp with prideful stances.


End file.
